“Nothing exists in a fixed way. Birth and death…keep going on…continually and eternally." -Pema Chödrön, Welcoming the Unwelcome (p.111) My dream to live abroad in Costa Rica for 1-2 years has died. It died in February of this year when I returned to the United States to be with two dear ones** who are dealing … Continue reading It is what it is.
Personal Growth
Loss & Hope
“Loss remakes you.”(Lose Your Mother, Saidiya Hartman) Lately I’ve been noticing a desire within myself to carve out intentional space to grieve. It’s beginning to feel imperative that I find and incorporate rituals&rhythms that honor the fullness of my humanity, and a part of that fullness is the constant encounter with loss. From the loss … Continue reading Loss & Hope
Gethsemane & Grand Rapids
Today is Holy Saturday, a day in the liturgical calendar representing the day after Jesus was crucified. It is a day I imagine was full of grief and deep sorrow. A day that felt empty of any signs of impending resurrection or relief from the violence and suffering present in the world. A day where … Continue reading Gethsemane & Grand Rapids
Returning Home
Today marks my second week back in the United States: two weeks of remembering what it’s like to drive instead of walking barefoot everywhere; two weeks of figuring out what to eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner; two weeks of not being able to river-bathe under the rays of the sun peeking through the trees of a Cloud … Continue reading Returning Home
Pura Vida
Pura Vida is the national motto of Costa Rica, and locals use the phrase gratuitously: to greet one another, to end conversations, to ask questions and to confirm answers… I used a self-timer to take this photo this past September as I spent time in Monteverde, Costa Rica. In English, Pura Vida translates most literally … Continue reading Pura Vida
Reclaiming Self
I just got off of InstagramLive. The video I uploaded to my account is now the 10th episode of M.B.S.W.N.: Mind, Body, & Soul With Nia. Screenshot of the collection of my InstagramLive M.B.S.W.N. videos I created the M.B.S.W.N. InstagramLive series as a Lenten practice. (For those unfamiliar with what Lent is, it’s the 40 … Continue reading Reclaiming Self
Grief & Growth
Sadness feels omnipresent these days. Even in the midst of beautiful and joy-filled moments--like celebrating my Divinity School graduation and moving into my first-ever solo apartment (WOOT WOOT!!!)--I’ve also noticed pangs of heaviness in my heart. I’m not concerned, though, by these oscillating feelings of joy and sadness, because over the years, my life experiences … Continue reading Grief & Growth
Sunshine and Snow Piles.
Tuesday, March 9th, New Haven, CT experienced temperatures over 60 degrees fahrenheit. Sixty-four degrees to be exact. I videotaped myself standing on my porch eating dried mangoes in the sunshine so I could memorialize the miraculous moment of warmth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsHFA28ibsc As I stood on my porch, I couldn’t help but notice piles of snow lining … Continue reading Sunshine and Snow Piles.
Broken-Open Hearted Warriors
“It is only through letting our heart break that we discover something unexpected: The heart cannot actually break, it can only break open.” (Love and Awakening, Welwood) Meet my fellow broken-open hearted warrior, Sinclair Williams. It's been just over one year, and my thoughts have felt like a ping-pong ball as I’ve gone back and … Continue reading Broken-Open Hearted Warriors
And So I Write
The Anxiety came on Thursday, as if She had been meticulously planning the attack all week. You see, I had an ethics paper due Tuesday, and after nearly a week of wrestling with whether or not I believed violence was ethically permissible as a Christian, I finally just did the thing and turned in my … Continue reading And So I Write
Purposefully Nia 