People who know how to lift up others without losing themselves in the process understand sustainability. They naturally draw upon what I think of as boundaried empathy. Let’s face it, our reserves are low and a lot of us are feeling tapped out. I am. These last few years have been a bit of a slog. Yet, I notice there are still those who are able to give with thought and intention while accounting for their own deeply held limitations, then teach from that example. I pay close attention to them. 

A year of self-regulation and being alone a lot amplified any tendencies we had to be introverts so re-engaging feels like work. Dan and I were taking steps to re-enter society and spread our wings like hatchlings who stayed too long in the nest, we rubbed our zoom-weary eyes and started to rev up, gaining speed daily. And then quite suddenly, we lost our internet, landlines, wireless, and cable for the weekend, which stunted liberation in ways that surprised us like an unmarked speed bump on an unfamiliar road…