Welcome to The Garden of Belonging

A new(ish) name with a more aligned focus

So, I said I would take a pause back in June and I’ve mostly done so, if you don’t count my shares about making friends with summer, the overwhelm after vacation, and a heartfelt tribute to my dad who passed away at the end of last year.

It’s been nice to be more present in my offline life and take the time to enjoy summer and the extra time with family. It’s been lovely and hard and all the things. Now, as the kids head back to school (both kids for the first time since lockdown!) and the weather cools down, I feel myself drawn back towards this space and sharing here. With that…A little announcement and re-welcome of sorts.

Introducing The Garden of Belonging

What was once The Messy Middle has become The Garden of Belonging. This isn't a new name, really, it's the name I used for my podcast and a community I used to host. I'm not quite sure why I moved away from it. I suppose I was simply trying on something new, throwing out there what was present in the moment, knowing I'd eventually find my way home.

So why the return to this name?

I think I got tired of the word "messy". While life can be "messy", I've gotten a little uncomfortable with naming it so. The word messy has a sense of needing to be cleaned up, of not being a steady state. I'm all about accepting and loving things as they are, so coming at myself with the energy of "messy" doesn't feel very aligned with that.

Side note: I don't mean by accepting and loving things as they are that I don't wish for change. Often I do. But, I've had a lot more success making shifts when I come from a place of allowing first. When I tell myself it's ok to be where I am, that it makes sense that I find myself there, I give myself a moment to exhale. I allow myself to be seen. From this place I'm able to gain energy and courage to step towards something different.

So, Why The Garden of Belonging?

Belonging, because I believe the way to a fulfilling life is through belonging to ourselves. That is, knowing ourselves, accepting ourselves, and trusting ourselves.

Garden, because I love metaphor and feel a garden is a wonderful one for this work involved in finding belonging to ourselves. Like a garden we need boundaries, water, and tending.

What is it like in this garden?

I envision a walled garden. A place safe from outside influence where we can find rest. A place where we tend carefully to our belonging. A place we can experiment with removing our masks.  A place we can question the stories we have learned but no longer serve us. Our garden is our own. While mine may be a place of solitude, yours may be a place with many helping hands. What matters is that we each are the architect and tender, holding ourselves at the center.

What will I be talking about here?

I will be sharing letters and stories about belonging to ourselves. In letters I will muse on a topic or share my own experiences. In stories I will use narrative to give you a glimpse into the energy of belonging to ourselves.

Also, I’m human over here, so I give myself permission to veer off the path now and then should something that seems unrelated rise up to be shared.

Join the conversation

I’ve moved The Garden of Belonging to Substack because I desire a conversation. My hope is that you will see yourself in my letters and stories and feel less alone. My hope is also that you will be willing to share your thoughts and ideas with me. I’m always looking for new stories to question and new ways to find belonging to myself. Your stories matter too, and I hope we can build a community around our shared experiences.

Paid Subscriptions

I am not currently publishing any paid content, but I have ideas about creating a community where we can explore these topics together in a seasonal way. With the idea of a walled garden, I like the idea of a paid space where we can feel safe to share and our comments aren't seen by the public. If something like this interests you, let me know by pledging your support.