I Feel Seen

I can't stop thinking about something I read yesterday.

With a fresh cup of coffee to keep me company, I opened my inbox and saw a friend's name that I hadn't seen in months. Olivia doesn't publish new writing super frequently, but when she does it's a drop everything and read kind of situation for me.

So that's exactly what I did.

I sat back, pulled my mug toward me on the table, and starting pouring over the words. Her cadence rose and fell, twisted and turned. The honesty of what she shared was right on par with what I've come to associate with her work. Her writing voice just seems so dialed.

Damn.

Reading her work feels like having a conversation—and this one was timely for me. After forging a career as a ski patroller in the Pacific Northwest, Olivia pivoted to go back to nursing school. Her latest story is about grappling with a crumbling identity while another's taking shape.

I felt... strange. Like, I wasn't fidgeting with my ring, cracking my knuckles, or tapping my fingertips. My body was just sort of frozen, and I was completely locked in on what I was reading. The perspective she shared on humility absolutely rocked me. I thought about it while running both yesterday and today. I've yet to come to any firm conclusions on what it looks like for me in my life right now, but it certainly got me thinking.

For now, all I know is that I feel seen.

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Our Daily MAP Year Prompt
212/365

When's the last time you felt so seen you froze?

onward.

For more on this daily column and The MAP Year Project, read the backstory here. And if you know someone who'd appreciate this, pass it along.