MOVE FORWARD AT A GENTLE PACE

When we approach the end of a month or a season, it can feel like we are nearing the end of one chapter of our lives. As a result, we may find ourselves reflecting on everything that occurred at the time. We can reflect on what has occurred globally, locally, within our own homes, and within our own hearts. We may try to imagine what’s to come.

Whatever your reflection looks like right now, I hope you know it's okay if you can't sum up the month of June in a few words or a single narrative. If something unexpected happened and you're confused or worried about what's next, may you remember that even if this is a major turning point in your story, there is room for you to move forward at a gentle pace.

There's a reason why in a good story when the plot thickens, the author will offer the smallest details to make the scene more real. In many ways, these details bring us to the present moment. Details in stories invite the reader to be in the moment with whatever the character is feeling and experiencing. Even when the character is in despair, descriptions of how warm their face felt or how cold the room felt serve as reminders that this scene is more than words on a page. It's meant to reflect a real-life human experience. A human experience that isn’t about making sense of everything at once but about recognizing the temporal, tender, and complex nature of human life. 

We fall in love with so many characters in stories not when everything is going perfectly and they are effortlessly moving through life, but when they are in these more tender moments that remind us of our own humanity.

I hope you know that the same tender heart you may have for a character in a book, a movie, or even the other "characters" in your life, can also be extend to yourself. Of course, it will be more difficult, but it is worthwhile to consider that when you look back on this June 2024 chapter of your life, you will be able to see all the different ways you were present, all the different things you learned along the way, and how, through it all, you are learning to be a human, wrapped in endless, boundless grace.

More in this week's series called "For The Path Ahead", only with a subscription in the Storyteller App.

More tomorrow…
Sincerely,
Morgan Harper Nichols
@thestorytellerco
@morganharpernichols