For many of our ancestors, reading and writing were a luxury reserved for the wealthy. In some lands, they were even considered criminal acts.
Still, poetry landed on our tongues and hands.
In hushed tones. under stolen letter books, in elite institutions unprepared for colored brilliance, our souls somehow discovered just the right words. Essays, novels, in-depth reports, short stories, and anthologies written by dazzling minds of color expanded the Universe, forging new ways of navigating it.
Chart your own course from these written stars– they still have power to guide us.
The Rumi Collection edited by Kabir Helminski
This book is littered with inked underlines, brackets, and stars– my written amens. I visit Rumi’s words often, wrapping under his practical perspectives on love, spirituality, and The Divine. Each time I pick them up, I’m reminded to recenter on God, to identify and focus on what’s most important, to be loving, and to stay connected to my purpose.
Slowly, these lessons are forming the essence of my living. - David Leon Morgan
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
Self-care means letting go of the impossible quest to be perfect and accepting myself as I am. In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown says, “Worthiness doesn't have prerequisites.”
She encourages us to embrace that we are: “Worthy now, not if, not when, we're worthy of love and belonging now. Right this minute. As is.”
The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde
Shared by Alexis Francisco
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kold M.D.
Learning to Walk in the Dark, by Barbara Brown Taylor
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times, Pema Chodron
Life of the Beloved by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Self-care begins with the realization that I am beloved. Henri Nouwen’s book, Life of the Beloved, lays out both the reality of my belovedness and a path to move toward a realization of that reality. In the book, Nouwen says, “Self-rejection is the greatest enemy of the spiritual life because it contradicts the sacred voice that calls us the ‘Beloved.’ Being the Beloved expresses the core truth of our existence.”
Nouwen writes, “I kept running around it in large or small circles, always looking for someone or something able to convince me of my Belovedness.”
He asserts that, “the real ‘work’ of prayer is to become silent and listen to the voice that says good things about me. To gently push aside and silence the many voices that question my goodness and to trust that I will hear the voice of blessing-- that demands real effort.” - Doug Cunningham
Brother to Brother: New Writing by Gay Black Men, Edited by Essex Hemphill
Shared by Alexis Francisco
The Fire Next Time, Essays by James Baldwin
Shared by Alexis Francisco