Heart Reading … Day 94

Being on the street — in circles

I have never been “on the street” without options like a roof over my head. My mom did a good job of providing for the two of us after she left my father and she set us up with food stamps when it was a straightforward thing designed to help those identifying their own need for assistance to receive it while retaining some of sense of dignity.

Things aren’t like that any more. And I cannot imagine what it is like for people without at least a few options. But I have been paying more attention to the streets, literally.

I notice and experience more of the living plant beings than I used to — beings that coexist with the steady stream of vehicles passing by every day — and I imagine what it would be like to be so patient. To not move from the same plot for decades or more if they (trees) are cared for by the nearby humans acknowledging their coexistence.

One day recently during a rare moment with few vehicles on the street I took a few pictures (above) and noticed the street in a fresh way.

Today I am comparing this experience with that of the main character in the TV series Maid. A young woman leaves her emotionally abusive partner, young daughter in tow, and despite having both her parents nearby, feels utterly unable to find adequate shelter for the two of them. These episodes do a terrific job of portraying the tenuousness of emotional trauma alongside class and societal anemia.

I haven’t finished this series yet but it feels really hopeful — particularly in the way she (Alex) notices what is underneath the dust and grime she is cleaning in homes ranging from oceanfront mansions to decrepit and abandoned spaces with clear histories of abuse. This maid is healing her experiences of trauma as she makes pivotal choices for herself and her daughter — and is able to see her parents as flawed human beings doing their best. I expect she will come full circle and reconcile not just with her parents but with her heart.

May we all heal our traumas and reconcile with each other and our hearts.