The storm petrol is an amazing creature, bending with the wind like a reed, folding itself into the storm to be the storm in a way, survival through acceptance rather than battle. Quite beautiful.
One of the themes in my writing is the idea that we are always choking on the smoke of fires lit in the past. That whatever we do as individuals or societies isn't isolated to a period of time, but, like smoke, travels through time to effect the present, an forever embrace between past and present that never releases. Until I read your writing here on epigenetics I never really made the connection. I wonder if there is a mechanism beyond DNA that allows for a similar mechanics in so many realms?
Anyway, thanks so much Rebecca. I really enjoyed this piece for so may reasons :)
"Bending with the wind like a reed" ah what a wondrous description of these glorious birds. I'm glad to have found a fellow storm petrel lover here! And I am fascinated by your description of choking on the fires of the past. I think there are so many layers to this thought - from molecular smoke (genetic, epigenetic) right the way up to cultural, structural smoke. Smoke passing through us in so many ways, some of which we surely don't even know yet... I must read more of your work, Jonathan! I'm glad you enjoyed this essay.
You've described my feelings perfectly there Rebecca, thanks.
"some of which we surely don't even know yet" - particularly with c"ultural smoke" I think most of it is ignored too, and left to fester until generations later the imbalance reveals itself over and over.
"I must read more of your work, Jonathan" - ahhh that balm of words to sooth every writer heart ;) I shall enjoy doing the same Rebecca, thanks.
One of my most amazing memories as a birdwatcher is being on a remote island in Shetland, in the dark, as the storm petrels come in to their nests for the night. They're wonderful birds.
A wonderful post. Thank you for that. It caused a noticeable shift in my perspective this morning. You have good tools. Thanks for keeping them sharpened.
Wonderful essay Rebecca! 👏 The field of "positive psychology" echoes your warning that we are primed to negativity and habituate quickly to good events ("hedonic treadmill"). So we need to actively practice appreciation and make conscious and ongoing efforts to embrace the beauty and the light around us. Thanks for this important reminder at this difficult time.
Thank you for bringing the storm petrel into my life. What a magnificent bird and teacher for us as we weather the storms. Your reminder to shape ourselves with beauty is so essential, and too easy to forget. But oh how buoyed we become when we allow it to lift and carry us, like the petrel, until the dark skies have nothing on our flight. You’re a gift Rebecca. Thank you.
“in the open ocean its leaf-light body survives the most violent of weather.” There is something so startlingly beautiful about the image of these tiny creatures weathering the storm.
I hadn’t known if the storm petrol before and I love knowing they exist. This is one of the many reasons I love your writing. It teaches while also being so gorgeously rendered.
And may we all clutch to joy and light with both hands.
I'm so glad to be able to gift this bird to you, it is such a wonder! And thank you for this beautiful comment 🤍 yes let us grip the light as tight as we can!!
Thank you so much for this Rebecca. It’s a beautiful piece. It reminded me of the EE Cummings poem I Carry Your Heart with Me. Coincidentally in my most recent post I talked briefly about studies showing a possible link between thyroid disorders and famine survival.
This is a very timely article for me. I have recently been studying trauma-informed mindfulness, and what you have shared is so very relevant to that study. By the way, when I hit the subscribe button, I did not see an option to become a founding member as you had described. Is there some other way to do so? Thank you
I'm so glad this resonated with you, Andrea! Sorry you're having a problem with seeing the subscriber options. If you click 'upgrade to paid' it should give you various options - monthly, yearly, or founding member. You should also have received a welcome email when you subscribed where those options are accessible. Let me know if youl can't see them and I will send you a direct message so we can figure it out :)
Maybe we need a new term to sit in prize of place beside PTSD. Maybe we need something like PBER—Post Beauty Elation Retention—to name the joy that lingers and positively informs all future experiences. Maybe we need to learn to peer around the corner of the future, carrying only the memory of the weight of a small bird that once rested in our hand, just for a glimmering moment, trusting us.
Wow. This field of epigenetics was unfamiliar to me until I read your post. I can completely agree with your statement that we kind of inherit the trauma(s) of the past. I think my neurons developed, not just from a traumatic childhood, but through my parents' traumas. And this is a beautifully written piece.
Thank you Beth, I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece and that it resonated with you. I really recommend listening to the podcast I linked in the footnotes if you want to find out more about epigenetics - it's such interesting research!
Fascinating and so beautifully put.
Thank you so much, Cat!
The storm petrol is an amazing creature, bending with the wind like a reed, folding itself into the storm to be the storm in a way, survival through acceptance rather than battle. Quite beautiful.
One of the themes in my writing is the idea that we are always choking on the smoke of fires lit in the past. That whatever we do as individuals or societies isn't isolated to a period of time, but, like smoke, travels through time to effect the present, an forever embrace between past and present that never releases. Until I read your writing here on epigenetics I never really made the connection. I wonder if there is a mechanism beyond DNA that allows for a similar mechanics in so many realms?
Anyway, thanks so much Rebecca. I really enjoyed this piece for so may reasons :)
"Bending with the wind like a reed" ah what a wondrous description of these glorious birds. I'm glad to have found a fellow storm petrel lover here! And I am fascinated by your description of choking on the fires of the past. I think there are so many layers to this thought - from molecular smoke (genetic, epigenetic) right the way up to cultural, structural smoke. Smoke passing through us in so many ways, some of which we surely don't even know yet... I must read more of your work, Jonathan! I'm glad you enjoyed this essay.
You've described my feelings perfectly there Rebecca, thanks.
"some of which we surely don't even know yet" - particularly with c"ultural smoke" I think most of it is ignored too, and left to fester until generations later the imbalance reveals itself over and over.
"I must read more of your work, Jonathan" - ahhh that balm of words to sooth every writer heart ;) I shall enjoy doing the same Rebecca, thanks.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge Rebecca! And in a way that someone like me can understand and appreciate it! Fascinating stuff 👏🏼
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Vanessa!
One of my most amazing memories as a birdwatcher is being on a remote island in Shetland, in the dark, as the storm petrels come in to their nests for the night. They're wonderful birds.
wow!!! This sounds incredible. I hope to see one one day. Was it Mousa you were on?
Yes it was Mousa. We've been on the night time boat trip to Mousa twice now, it's amazing. Hope you get to do it one day!
Ah how incredible! Yes I really hope to.
A wonderful post. Thank you for that. It caused a noticeable shift in my perspective this morning. You have good tools. Thanks for keeping them sharpened.
This makes my heart sing! Thank you Brian.
A fabulous piece. Fascinating, important information, framed with writing so beautiful it borders on prose poetry. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much Richard!
"Neuronal pessimism is a survival mechanism."
Wonderful essay Rebecca! 👏 The field of "positive psychology" echoes your warning that we are primed to negativity and habituate quickly to good events ("hedonic treadmill"). So we need to actively practice appreciation and make conscious and ongoing efforts to embrace the beauty and the light around us. Thanks for this important reminder at this difficult time.
Thank you, Baird, I'm glad you enjoyed it (and I haven't heard of the field of positive psychology before - I shall read about it!)
Here's a good overview:
https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-positive-psychology-definition/
Interesting stuff. Some common sense, and some counter-intuitive.
Thankful for the beauty you create and share, Rebecca.
Thank you Mary, and I'm so thankful to have you reading!
Thank you for bringing the storm petrel into my life. What a magnificent bird and teacher for us as we weather the storms. Your reminder to shape ourselves with beauty is so essential, and too easy to forget. But oh how buoyed we become when we allow it to lift and carry us, like the petrel, until the dark skies have nothing on our flight. You’re a gift Rebecca. Thank you.
🤍🤍🤍 As are you Kimberly! "Until the dark skies have nothing on our flight" ah!! Such poetry.
“in the open ocean its leaf-light body survives the most violent of weather.” There is something so startlingly beautiful about the image of these tiny creatures weathering the storm.
I hadn’t known if the storm petrol before and I love knowing they exist. This is one of the many reasons I love your writing. It teaches while also being so gorgeously rendered.
And may we all clutch to joy and light with both hands.
I'm so glad to be able to gift this bird to you, it is such a wonder! And thank you for this beautiful comment 🤍 yes let us grip the light as tight as we can!!
Thank you so much for this Rebecca. It’s a beautiful piece. It reminded me of the EE Cummings poem I Carry Your Heart with Me. Coincidentally in my most recent post I talked briefly about studies showing a possible link between thyroid disorders and famine survival.
https://open.substack.com/pub/talkingmouthsfull/p/the-comfort-of-porridge?r=1l7cr4&utm_medium=ios
Thank you Raina, I'm glad you enjoyed it and looking forward to reading your link!
I was very much in need of the reminder that I, too, am a storm-bearer. Thank you, thank you 🤍
a heart of storm petrel, delicate and immense 🖤
🤍
This is a very timely article for me. I have recently been studying trauma-informed mindfulness, and what you have shared is so very relevant to that study. By the way, when I hit the subscribe button, I did not see an option to become a founding member as you had described. Is there some other way to do so? Thank you
I'm so glad this resonated with you, Andrea! Sorry you're having a problem with seeing the subscriber options. If you click 'upgrade to paid' it should give you various options - monthly, yearly, or founding member. You should also have received a welcome email when you subscribed where those options are accessible. Let me know if youl can't see them and I will send you a direct message so we can figure it out :)
Maybe we need a new term to sit in prize of place beside PTSD. Maybe we need something like PBER—Post Beauty Elation Retention—to name the joy that lingers and positively informs all future experiences. Maybe we need to learn to peer around the corner of the future, carrying only the memory of the weight of a small bird that once rested in our hand, just for a glimmering moment, trusting us.
I love this idea! This image! This balancing of trauma with beauty! Thank you for bringing a smile to my face :)
Wow. This field of epigenetics was unfamiliar to me until I read your post. I can completely agree with your statement that we kind of inherit the trauma(s) of the past. I think my neurons developed, not just from a traumatic childhood, but through my parents' traumas. And this is a beautifully written piece.
Thank you Beth, I'm so glad you enjoyed this piece and that it resonated with you. I really recommend listening to the podcast I linked in the footnotes if you want to find out more about epigenetics - it's such interesting research!
I am fascinated not only by this and other topics you examine but also by how you weave a lyrical, gently mystical framework to host your thoughts.
What a lovely thing to read, thank you Angela!! 🤍