“We don’t chose what’s going to wake us up.” One of my favorite writers, Dani Shapiro said this and it’s been echoing in my head for the past several months. I’ve been absent here on The Modern Bee. The most straightforward explanation is that I was off regrouping. I know I’m not alone in feeling that the pandemics (yes, plural, because let’s be honest: here in the US, we’ve been battling both medical and systemic pandemics these days) and everything they have brought forward have rattled me to my core. They’ve changed me. Priorities have changed. Interests have changed. Friendships have changed. Boundaries have changed. Values have changed. Sometimes it feels like everything has changed.
In my case, I was woken up, again, and again, and again. Sometimes, the wakeup would be comforting, like waking up after a restorative nap. Other times, the wakeup would be jarring, like being knocked out of bed by a drill sergeant at bootcamp. I’m grateful for the myriads of awakenings. When everything feels raw and stripped down, you see who you really are, flaws and all. What I didn’t expect to see back in March was such a deep-rooted confidence bubble up to my surface a few months later. To suddenly and more openly be unapologetic about who I am and what I want. I’m now navigating how to use my voice and harness my own power, both of which I now so wholeheartedly believe in. Which leads me to The Modern Bee.
I’ve been thinking about what I want for this little community. What about it that has brought me the most joy. What stands at the forefront is spreading truth and light. I want this to be a platform where we call out the things that matter. Where we shine a light on the issues and stories that matter. I know personally, I love the labor behind the fruit, the practice rather than the actual performance. When there’s no applause, you’re motivated not by back claps and likes, but by the work itself. I love learning about women working to reclaim ancestral practices and strengthen community ties, about pint-sized organizers who aren’t letting their age hold them back from changing the world. These are the stories that have made my heart soar and these are the stories that I want to share here. I devour stories like this in my life outside The Modern Bee and want to be more intentional about sharing them here in the hopes that they will generate a ripple effect of wakening. And that we stay awake, connected, and committed to creating a more just and ideal world.
I’m excited to be moving fluidly in this direction and hope you’ll stay for the journey. As always, I’m curious to hear from you: who are you? What energizes you? Who inspires you?
Here’s to evolving…while staying true to who we really are and what truly matters.
–Michaela
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