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Lady Of The Lake's avatar

This is so tender, Debra. And such an important reminder.

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Debra King's avatar

Thank you 💕

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Kellie Brown's avatar

I love coming back to old work and seeing how far I've journeyed, a bit like an artistic time capsule. Today's theme must be about releasing and letting go because I keep running into that, an important synchronicity that I need to pay attention to. I want to keep letting go of the need for external validation. It is a fruitless quest on a hamster wheel.

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Debra King's avatar

Kellie, I feel the same pull lately — like life is quietly asking me to let go, over and over again. Validation will never feed what really matters. We’re building something deeper now. 🫶

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Saira Anwar's avatar

Debs, this is absolutely stunning. You’ve captured something so tender and true here — the messy, in-between spaces where real transformation happens. The image of the chrysalis splitting but not becoming a perfect butterfly or beast — just being — felt like a balm. It reminds me that it’s okay to be unfinished, to exist in the middle, to claim space even when we don't have all the answers yet.

The way you described standing face-to-face with your younger self moved me so deeply. There's so much power in seeing her with love and compassion rather than judgment. Thank you for giving voice to the parts of us that are still learning to breathe, to unfold, and to believe that simply being human is enough.

Your words always feel like a hand reaching out and saying, "You're not alone." I'm endlessly grateful for this space you’ve created, and so honoured to walk this path alongside you. Always here, always cheering you on. 💛❤️🥰🤗🫶🏻✨️

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Debra King's avatar

Saira, your words landed right where I needed them today. 🌿 Thank you for seeing the heart behind the mess, for reminding me it's okay to be in the middle of becoming. I'm endlessly grateful for this space we get to build together. Always rooting for you too. 💛

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Saira Anwar's avatar

My absolute pleasure, Debs. Your words and your heart deserve to be seen, always. I'm so grateful we get to walk this path together, through all the beautiful middle spaces of becoming. Always here, always rooting for you too. We’re building something really special. 💛✨🌿

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Regina McIntosh's avatar

We change. We grow. We are planted and pruned and protected by Ine who hung the moon. We are surely loved more than we can imagine. Your poem is a treasure. God bless you.

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Debra King's avatar

Thank you for holding space with me and for seeing the beauty in the becoming. So grateful for your kindness Regina. ✨

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Morpho's avatar

This resonates with me… I feel like I’m in another transformative phase in my life… I think as humans we get many opportunities to fold in and then reach back out. It certainly is messy, but it there is truth and beauty in that slippery process. And there is pain. Without the pain of becoming, we simply cannot ever emerge to be.

🦋

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Debra King's avatar

Yes, you put it so perfectly. It's messy, it's tender, and it’s painfully beautiful all at once. 🤍

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Stephanie Wheeless's avatar

This is beautiful. I can relate to this so well. I've always felt held back by my own body and expectations. Thank you for sharing it

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Emma-Jane Barlow's avatar

Such a beautiful poem and gorgeous post. I often stumble upon old poems and I feel that way too, I am transported back to the moment or emotion that inspired it. Our poems are our stories and our legacy 🩷✨

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Priya | The Pretend Poet's avatar

This is so beautiful, Debra. I love that about reading old writings, flipping through old journals. You get to meet yourself again. In a whole new way.

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Jay✨'s avatar

What a thought-provoking piece. For me, I’m still trying to figure out my “middle”. I’m the first born so I was raised with the world on back. Always having to be strong until my body gave out. But I also hate being pitied and have a hard time letting others do things for me. I always feel like a burden when that happens. And I know both of those feelings “not wanting to be strong, not wanting to be helped” comes from the same place. Anyways, I guess what I’m saying is that this post reminds me that healing doesn’t have to be linear, perfect, and complete. It doesn’t have to be sparkly. Finding that balance in the middle is just as important.

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