A Long Time Ago

This came up today. I was probably working on it in September several years ago.

I had an idea that as a published book it might go out into the world and be helpful.

I didn’t know how or what that might look like, especially in the beginning.

Years of work later it eventually did become a book. It was definitely a learning experience. I fell short and failed and had to start over a number of times.

Originally, I expected it to be a board book. A simple quick read for tired parents at the end of a busy day. A winding down collective breathing experience. Simple, easeful, comforting, for both parent and child.

Its hard to say if that ever happened, I felt like I’d fallen short and failed, but then, other things that I never expected, did.

When I first began marketing, I was a little discouraged that average young parents weren’t very interested.

At the time, emotions, especially strong ones, weren’t as popular as they seem to be now. Breathing intentionally had not yet hit youtube.

‘Peaceful Hearts’ mostly appealed to artists and small pockets of the population.

I love that it became a hard bond, regular picture book. My abstract illustrations came out colorful and mostly accurate.

Today, its being read in many school classrooms, in counciling offices, yoga studios, museums, galleries, even a woman’s prison.

Its part of programs for mental health, grief counseling, and regulating, for kids struggling in school. Here I was trying to make one kind of thing, and it became something else instead.

I’ve had this strong feeling lately that no matter what we are here on earth trying to do, there is usually something else going on.

Dharma was talked about in yoga today. Often with dharma, you hear that you need to be the best you, align with your purpose, figure out your purpose. Many little suggestions that get me worried that I’m wasting time, not.

Not living my dharma, oh my! What am am even doing?! I’m still trying to find an actual purpose…those kinds of thoughts.

Here was a different swing on dharma that I like better: A tree’s dharma is to be a tree. Just be. Be the self that we are. Just, you know, show up.

As a person.

You never know how that will play out. There are plenty of suggestions for how to be; it’s nice to have one that leaves out the ‘how’. Refreshing really. Go ahead Me-in-the-past, make a book that no one might want…