Pure Parade Joy
It's Ok to Break Your Heart
Today I was reminded by my friend Megan of the time we went to an amusement park and cried watching a parade.
Maybe I was crying because I had realized that my body no longer tolerated rollercoasters, but Megan was crying from that deep joy that goes beyond understanding—the fleeting awareness that life is precious, and special, and unique, and worthy of holding reverently.
“It’s so pure!” Megan said, tears down her face as jugglers juggled and costumed people danced by in a glorious and colorful cacophony of sound and emotion, “It’s so pure!”
Later that weekend, we went on a mystic journey to a rose quartz kingdom in the middle of a soybean field and Megan put rose petals at our feet and lit candles and smudged us LIKE ONE DOES, and I sang a song in a man-made 360 echo chamber about how it’s ok to break your heart.
Here’s the truth: I’ve always been a Feeler of the Feels and an advocate for the Feelers of the Feels. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming to sit in the deep, seemingly vast ocean of a sentiment you can’t control. Sometimes, life delivers you a parade that makes you weep with joy.
And, sometimes, the thing that life delivers you seems like it will break you open and leave you unable to put yourself back together.
It’s just how it is.
But if I’ve learned anything from years of emotions it’s that it’s ok to break open. It’s called being human. Don’t despair. You can slowly gather the pieces and feel whole again.
And if you want a song to help carry you through, I GOTCHU:
LYRICS:
Picking up the pieces
of all the fallen plans that you had made
Searching for some healing
through piles of tangled meaning that remain
And I know that you are weary
wary, worried, anxious, and afraid again to start
But it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok to break your heart
-
Tell me all the stories
Of shooting stars you wished upon before
The burning out of satellites
a creeping dark that crawls to your front door
I know that you feel hopeless
lost, forgotten, lonesome in your world that fell apart
But it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok to break your heart
-
You don’t have to be strong
You don’t have to be the only one to carry a torch on
No one meets a purpose without pause
don’t begrudge of your fear
Shame don’t shine a candle anywhere
Leave thoughts of your perfection to the gods
-
Out beyond despair there is a field of colors bright
where flowers catch their breath
Spent from skyward straining
Now gentle sway remaining of seeds that once were death
So pick up any pieces and lay them on the altar of the life you’ve left to live
Oh the joy oh the pain oh the joy oh the pain oh the joy oh the pain of a human’s love to give
-
I know that you are weary wary worried anxious and afraid again to start
But it’s ok
It’s ok
It’s ok it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok it’s ok to break your heart
Love,
Annie B.
P.S. If you can’t access the song, it means you’re not on Instagram—but why not?? Sign up and follow me and you’ll be able to see my weekly song post every Tuesday!
THREE GOOD THINGS
Need mental health resources on how to communicate with empathy and efficacy? This squirrel puppet is your new relational life coach.
Sometimes the broken spaces just need some quiet rest. Why not do a Dark Night?
My stomach is literally growling as I’m looking at this amazing recipe for Mexican wedding cookies. I’ve made ‘em vegan and they’re BOMBBBB