You Cannot Love in Moderation

I've been in a season lately where songs I haven't listened to in many years, and in many cases have straight up forgotten, come back around. One of those is a beautiful song called Land of the Living, which I first heard as a cover on a Gungor album. It has this really profound line that has always resonated with me, "you cannot love in moderation." Let that sink in a bit. We're constantly instructed to moderate, whether it's alcohol, diet, political views, hobbies, etc. Pull back a bit, don't overdo it.

But you can't do that with love. Love is either on or off, full volume or silent. You have to be all-in on love, full send, anything less is merely affection. And that's the gamble, right? Because sometimes you might lose. Too often we try to moderate our love because we want to hedge our bets, protect ourselves in case that love isn't reciprocated. At every wedding you hear the familiar verses, "love is patient, love is kind," blah blah blah - love is dangerous. Love is costly, love will flay you open. So we hold back, we don't allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we curl up and protect our soft spots like a nervous hedgehog.

But this is no way to live, my friends. Let's love, and let's love hard. And when (not if) we crash, let's help each other up, dust each other off, and give it another go. I don't want to live my life with a perfectly preserved ego, I'd much rather end my days covered in scars from a million failed attempts at love because that's a life fully lived, fully felt, fully bear-hug embraced. Why else are we here?

Ink on Paper

I finished up the print I've been working on for the North of the 45th exhibition. It's part meditation and part protest. Now we wait - fingers crossed!

I also submitted an application for the Peter White Library's public galleries, which would exhibit work across 5 generations, from my great-grandfather to my oldest child.

On the Bench

I had the privilege of sharing the bench with the Honorary Consul for Finland a couple weeks back. We spent a few hours in his 100 year-old log sauna, and it was just the most wonderful time. I can't think of a better way to meet someone!

Upcoming Events

::drums fingers:: is it Pride Fest yet?

Other Rambles

The other night, I went to a group sing as part of Hiawatha's Winter Roots festival, and man was it the balm my soul needed! There were a bunch of spiritual songs, and by that I mean songs that gave voice to the human side of the equation, with all its doubt and suffering and longing and joy. Singing those in a group, with some of my favorite humans, feeling their voices resonate in my chest along with my own - that's the good stuff right there.

See you out there,

~PB