“The Yearner (Yearning Love)”
*peace- a state of tranquility and harmony
Being an empath in the world that we live in, is both a blessing and a curse. My awareness has been the cause of my sadness at times. There is something so solitary about yearning for love & belonging. I don’t mean romantic love, I mean the desire to feel seen in a world that does not provide us with enough time to truly see (understand) one another. Visiting my motherland taught me this.
Going back to the Dominican Republic was enlightening. I learned more about myself through learning where I come from. Most days it feels like I am not supposed to be in The United States. It indoctrinates you to believe that you will only gain satisfaction if you “buy” or “achieve” the next thing, yet that next thing only provides you with a sense of temporary gratification, not peace*. This trip reinforced what I already defined as wealth, which is obtaining true inner peace. It is so easy to live in a state of lack when you live in this country, yet there are many who dream of not having to worry about the things that we are so accustomed to having access to. What I live for, along with my purpose, does not align with American values. I no longer want, nor did I give permission to subscribe to such an individualistic and self absorbed civilization. I reminisce on the nights I cried as a child because of homelessness, this epidemic has only increased. Everyone deserves to have a place & people they call home, there is enough space in this world. This was my revelation, an analeptic journey of restorative grounding to bring me back whole.
One of the things I love about my people (there are many things I also do not like either for the record), is our value of upholding the community. As a child, I always wondered why people were constantly offering me food and it was never your average level of hospitality. There is a reason Dominicans always say “este es su casa” or “tu estas en tu casa”, which translates to “this is your home” and “you are in your home”. This saying always provides guests with a sense of both comfort & safety, knowing they should not fret when asking for what they need while you are in their home. This saying is one that I have adopted and implemented into my own practice, it is the epitome of treating others the way you’d want to be treated. Obtaining these kinds of values in a country that defines your value based on what you have to offer, as opposed to who you are internally is the cause of why most things here are rooted in egoism. There are people who are worried about having enough and then there are those who center their entire lives about making sure they have more than a gluttonous amount. This is where the disconnect is happening. The only thing we should see as “enough” is ourselves, all these external factors are just distracting us from what is important. I mean if you think about it, everything was once made up, including the things we love, hell even us-humans. There was an intention behind everything we know that was once created, but intentions without ethics are meaningless. This is the kind of world & love I yearn for.
