There Was a Healing...
Hi! Welcome back to another week of The Willow! This week will be a break from my typical info blog format and instead be a small reflection on my little moments of "healing" recently.
In case you aren't familiar with the phrase "there was a healing," it comes from a meme that originated on Twitter and often features F5ve's song "I Choose You" in the background. Individuals in the meme are "healed" with stickers from Twitter, and the memes typically have some type of angelic glow to them. A lot of the original photos prior to the "healing" convey negative feelings or stressful situations. The phrase itself can just also refer to things that bring you happiness/inner peace. Your soul is #beinghealed basically.
I've been very busy this semester. Monday through Friday I have classes (unfortunately) and I work on the weekends. My Google calendar is full all the way up to finals week, and looking at it often makes me feel very overwhelmed. My schedule is just "eat, sleep, school/work" repeat. Time to fully relax feels so short because there's always an assignment or other stressor in the back of mind. Such is college life, I guess.
Thankfully, I survived midterms and had some opportunities to go out and "heal". All of my healing events actually occurred during the same week as if the universe was telling me to take a chill pill. The first healing moment for me was attending the National Mexican Museum of Art in Pilsen. It was for a class and I did not feel great physically for my visit , BUT it did make me step back and go "oh, it feels nice to switch things up for once." Seeing pieces of my culture on display especially around Día de los Muertos was very moving as well. It reminded me of my family's ofrenda at home and its significance to my history.
My next healing moment was caused by another school related trip. I had plenty of time to kill after my school excursion, and I was at the lakefront. I remembered my friends and I took prom photos at a spot nearby, so I thought "what the hell, sure" and walked over there. For those native to Chicago or are familiar with the scenic spots in the city, you may recognize it. It's right next to the Adler Planetarium and it captures the entire Chicago skyline. With no headphones on and my phone in my pocket, I was able to actually take in my surroundings and let my brain slow down. The day was beautiful too - sunny, no clouds, and 70 degrees with no humidity. Maybe the problem really is my damn phone.
I had my lunch, a simple peanut butter & jelly sandwich with a side of potato chips, sitting there and taking in the skyline. People biked and walked around me. There was a group of friends taking photos of each other on the hill facing the skyline. A grandpa watched his granddaughter climb up the concrete steps going down to the lakefront trail. Again, it was just another moment of stepping back and recognizing that I need to slow down and change things up every once in a while.
I was also able to do some photography. This year I've been more fearless when it comes to trying new things and photography has been one of them. It feels so good to get a nice shot. Sometimes I am intentional about my photos being for Instagram, but this year I mainly wanted my photos to document my life. My camera is my own time capsule, and I want to look back at those photos with positive feelings. When I walked away from my spot facing the city, the word "healing" unironically popped up in my head because that seriously was healing.
Halloweekend was so fun too. Halloween is my favorite because you have the chance to come out of your shell. Maybe I just like to people watch, but it was cool seeing everyone go all out for their costumes. It really gives people the opportunity to heal their inner child. Life's too short to be worried about others viewing your costume as embarrassing or unrecognizable.
So, there was a healing.... for me. If you haven't had a moment of "healing" recently, do something you love or start something new.
Thank you for reading The Willow!
-Ariel
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