Being Human: Being Art

“To create is to reflect the image of God. To create is an act of worship.”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

By: Gabriela Yareliz

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I want us to talk about the way we show ourselves to the world.

Recently at church, we were discussing how humans are constantly seeking acceptance, belonging and love. The person was saying that one could say that fashion is one of those aspects in which we try to do this. Fashion is a form of expression. The way we present ourselves to the world says volumes about what we believe, how we feel about ourselves, and what we think about others.

Each era has had a look, popular haircuts and things people strive to emulate. A part of how we look is influenced by societal/cultural trends.

the-rachel_

We live in a day and age where we are all about branding and image. Most social media platforms serve as marketing platforms (if we are being honest).

While it may seem shallow to discuss how we project and adorn ourselves— as with everything, what is on the outside hints at what holds true inside.

“While it may seem shallow to discuss how we project and adorn ourselves— as with everything, what is on the outside hints at what holds true inside.”

It’s natural to gravitate toward trends– we don’t always have a choice. Not many of us make our own clothes. It’s not about the clothes but about how we wear the clothes and how we use everything else. What is the message we are sending into the world?

Today, there is so much that is cookie-cutter. Fashion rules, entire channels that teach you how to dress like a certain brand’s catalog (essentially— everything is an ad), makeup tutorials that mask each face in the same way, fillers that have made a whole generation of women look a certain way— that’s where we are.

Ironically, I think some of the people we see as the most iconic are people who don’t look like the rest. They tend to be the people who make the trends and don’t follow. Whether it’s Amal Clooney, Kate Moss, Jane Birkin, Brigitte Bardot, the fictional Carrie Bradshaw or the mysterious Olsen Twins— I think the quality that makes their style so iconic is that it’s not very imitable— the reason being that their image is made up of the uniqueness and authenticity of who they are.

The clothes, hair and makeup aren’t there to cover who they are, but to truly accentuate who they are.

Mary-Kate Olsen said: “There are just some really beautiful people in the world. When you’re walking down the street, or you’re at a restaurant, someone catches your eye because they have their own look. It goes way beyond what they’re wearing – into their mannerisms, the way they smile, or just the way they hold themselves.”

“Whether we realize it or not, everything we do is an expression of either how alive our souls are or how much we have allowed ourselves to be deadened over time.”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

This may seem simple and so common sense, but I really don’t think it is, anymore. It’s a fit-in culture when it comes to everything, including beliefs. If you aren’t on the same page as the person next to you (who may be totally clueless, by the way), then you might as well have a target on your back.

These days, there are “acceptable” ways to do everything, including a designated style for not fitting into the promoted categories— but my point here is we should be breaking categories. There should be a higher and more difficult standard.

We should be seeking to be our most authentic selves, but not in the way society and social media dictate and normalize.

Sure, clothing and societal trends, plus TV and general media have influenced every era — but I never felt like it was so cookie-cutter like this. Our faces, lips, eyes– everything. We are physically changing ourselves.

I can scroll through social and find thousands of girls who all look the same. And they didn’t look the same before. They have altered themselves to look the same. And yet– we admire the ones who dared to be different. Why is that?

Do we as a general population lack courage? Do we lack creativity? Do we lack acceptance? Do we lack vision? Do we lack connection with the source of all truth?

Why are we, as a society of individuals, so unaccepting of who we were made to be?

There is a reason why we admire Carrie Bradshaw wearing two different colors of the same sandal with a dress (above), or why Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen look like queens while breaking every fashion rule known to man for petite women. They are comfortable. They look like themselves no matter what trend is captivating the general masses. They set trends just by being themselves.

“They look like themselves no matter what trend is captivating the general masses. They set trends just by being themselves.”

So, here is a simple call— why don’t we stop hiding behind brands and logos, sponsorships and image, and why don’t we look like ourselves? That may even mean looking more like our smaller, younger selves. The little beings who were unpolluted (relatively speaking) by societal agendas and advertising. All we cared about were toy commercials.

Pick the little pieces that make you, you. The point is we need to be happy with ourselves. If we aren’t, it will show. When we look around, we see a world that is deeply unhappy with itself and with others. It bleeds into everything.

Choosing to be our own person is profound and one of the most daring things we can be.

It’s impossible for God to work uniquely through us, if we can’t handle being ourselves.

God is the ultimate Creator. The greatest example of creativity.

Let’s pause and look around us. Observe each person and their visible intricacies. Then, think about who you are inside. Who does God want you to be? And then, your job is to show the world art. You are the creation that mirrors the Creator. That will look different in all of us, so let’s resolve to be that. If we fail, no one else will be able to be moved and changed by who God is creating us to be.

Ultimately, God doesn’t care about the details of what we wear. This only matters because it’s a hint as to what we feel and value inside of our hearts and minds.

And truth be told– the rest of us, we aren’t God. We don’t have soul x-ray vision, so we will definitely just go off of what we see. God made us externally unique and beautiful. If God made us this way, that must mean a part of this, as simple as it may sound, matters.

“What is your idea of you? Who is it that you have decided to become? If your greatest work of art is the life you live, and ultimately life is a creative act, what life will you choose to leave behind as your masterpiece?”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

Being Human: Here Comes Autumn

FALL TRANSITION

By: Gabriela Yareliz

And here we are. Inside of my little studio, French jazz playing, little amber candles burning and the drawers of my dresser only half closed. That’s the way it goes on a Friday where I don’t want to leave my house anymore, and I just want to start my sentence of self-imposed solitary.

Soon, the bridge will be glittering at a distance, and the sky will be amber, too. The world glows in autumn. It’s moody, it’s crisp, it’s romantic and it’s cozy. Every season invites us to something different.

Man Repeller had a piece on whether people still read personal blogs. If you are reading this, the answer is yes, and I thank you. I wasn’t even so much as interested in the article as I was in the comments section. It’s a relic of the “past” that people have nostalgia for– the non-influencer blog space. You know– where we just talk about life and feelings and thoughts, and we don’t try to sell you anything. We still exist. It’s real, and simple and only sponsored by our mothers who remain our number 1 fans. This golden age of blogging isn’t over– and to prove it, I want to launch a little section I am calling Being Human.

We live in an age of reboots. We believe we have advanced so much in so many areas of life, yet we still long for simpler times. I’d like us to explore what that simplicity was and what that reveals about us. This is just simple, today. Nothing new here, but it’s a seasonal reminder. The leaves may be falling, but this blog (and our humanity, for that matter) is here to stay.

CLEANING

With the seasonal shift, nothing gets me more clear-headed than a good cleaning session. It’s not just literal; it’s symbolic, guys. When I clean the corners I don’t normally sit in; When I tell the little spiders to pack their bags and relocate; When I empty the pantry and take a look at the random jar of jam I got in the TJ Maxx basement three months ago, life sort of takes a little pause. It feels as good as wiping a dry erase board with an alcohol wipe.

Cleaning is a pastime for me. It’s something I romanticize into a workout session, but with all natural exertion. (If you’ve read Mireille Guiliano, then you know). Nothing beats the satisfaction of an evening ending with your hands smelling like those cleaning wipes. I made a little list of each section of my house (because sometimes a room is too much after a day of court). And little by little (as life should be), the place begins to sparkle.

A clean space is an invitation to rest.

HEALTH

I take the new season to take inventory, you know, this isn’t just about wiping down the cabinets. I think about the things that make me feel good, and if they are missing, it’s time to make a little list and get them.

That includes:

Seasonal foods;
Supplements (are you running low on collagen? has it been a while since you took an iron or vitamin D3 supplement?);
Probiotics (game changer);
Workout equipment that needs replacing (resistance bands get stretched out, maybe it’s time to invest in a tool or leggings you have had your eye on);
Something that makes you feel beautiful on the outside (maybe it’s time to whiten your teeth or invest in a good serum to amp up your skincare routine).

I believe in investing in yourself, especially in your mind (books, podcasts) and wellness. Let’s just say the time and money you spend and invest in wellness, you avoid spending on the illness and repercussions of not caring for yourself.

We only live once. I always believe in optimizing that one life.

REST

While everything dies outside, as far as nature is concerned, as the skies get darker sooner, I believe it’s a personal invitation to rest. We’ve talked about preparing our space and our bodies for rest. Some other things that are absolutely divine for a season of rest are:

A good candle or two. Make sure it smells yummy, seasonal and cute packaging that makes the glow cozy– it’s perfect.
I have a light in my entrance that is different from all the others in the apartment. it glows a soft yellow. Sometimes, everything in my apartment is off except for this one light because it makes the place feel more relaxing.
A physical book. There is nothing like a dog-eared book on a late evening, with nothing else on.
A good journal to scribble down the little scenes that pop into our minds.
Good socks. Good fuzzy socks are a very underrated gift. I love them. I use them. Socks. Forever socks.
A Bible study tool. Yep. More time indoors should mean we use that time wisely to dive deeper into timeless books, like scripture.

No better investment. Soul health.

EXPERIENCE

I was restless on a Saturday morning, not long ago. I woke up at 4 am. I made myself some tea, and I sat at my dining area window. I watched as the sky turned orange and purple. Something about the sunrise moved me deeply.

I am often up when the sun is rising. But I am running around my studio getting dressed, pulling on a shoe while hopping on one foot, or hooking up my straightener to heat while I make some oatmeal. I don’t even look outside and stop to stare.

Stop and stare. Be intentional. Stop.

Some of our most “inefficient” moments are the ones that change us the most.

It may be in that moment that we make it quiet enough for an idea, which has been trying to catch our attention, to break through to us.

Pause to see the sunrise. Pause to observe the sunset.

When you are cooking, pause and breathe it all in. When you wake up, don’t hop out of bed flying like something is on fire (I am guilty of this, at times). Linger. Look at the shadows. Catch the light. Stretch. Take the moments to feel. Let the light that pours in touch you, too.

NATURE

Just because temperatures start dropping doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go outside. There is something about NYC when it’s cold. It’s like the streets belong only to those brave enough to linger under the gray skies.

I, for one, will be taking more walks. It’s time to unpack the jackets, scarves and hats. Nature offers us so much beauty, and we often miss it by looking down at some screen or by racing to the next indoor location.

Remember when phones were landlines, and you left your house knowing that if someone called, they could just leave a message? Shall we landline our cell phones? #landlinecellphones

Now, I am not suggesting you leave it home, simply because emergencies happen. But what if we kept our phones out of sight, let voicemail do its job, and we lived in a world where no one was looking for us constantly.

We can put away the perfection, the expectations, the ideal aesthetics, and we can simply be joyfully tousled human beings.

If you let it, the wind will do its job.

Be Human

Take a minute to feel the last rays of sunshine. Get yourself a warm drink and get one for someone not as fortunate. Write a letter. Make eye contact. Take time to listen. Connect with a stranger. Keep your hands free of anything that lights up, and instead, keep them busy turning the pages of a book, kneading some dough, with a pen, or holding someone you love.

“If you want to get warm

you must stand near the fire;

if you want to be wet

you must get into water.

If you want joy, power, peace, eternal

life, you must get close to,

or even into,

the thing that has them.”

C.S. Lewis

Sufficient

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Society, it fights capitalism and the patriarchy. We censor and then uncensor— we keep searching for something we can break through or break from that will liberate us from all oppressions and oppressors.

I am not quite sure what made us decide that the problem is another person or an outside system. Systems are set in place and made up of broken people. And while these externals certainly affect our lives– they can not reach or change the deepest of places, our hearts.

What if the problem is each individual person’s heart? What if we could somehow master our darkest shades and worst demons? The battlefield is the heart.

If the battle isn’t won there, then we find ourselves dismantling one oppressor to replace it with another, which will never suffice.

This Past Season

arts-graphics-film_1190784a — Image via Telegraph UK, Film Volver by Pedro Almodovar

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I always do enjoy putting my thoughts out into letters. It sort of shifts things in time for me.

It has been a year of serious introspection. A year of sitting down and facing brokenness, pain, loss, and changes. It has also been a year of marvelous things and moments, and mostly a year of growth, where I have been looking at myself, and thinking, why did I react that way? What is behind this fear? Or this sadness? Or this physical manifestation and symptom?

It has caused me to pause and think. It has been a year where I have wrestled with expectations, disappointment (with that knot in my throat that frustratingly (to my annoyance) forms when I want to cry), hurt and my pride.

I heard not so long ago that you can’t rush healing. And while at first, when I was facing my anguish I thought, I thought I had healed past all this. Why am I here again? I have now realized that I probably couldn’t have made it through this round without rounds one and two. It fills me with hope because that must mean someone is guiding all of this and watching over me. That must mean something has been gained.

“That must mean something has been gained.”

Lysa TerKeurst wrote, God never says He won’t allow us to face more than what we can handle. The scripture is often misquoted, but what He promises is to not allow us to be tempted more than we can handle. This means that in life, we will certainly face things that feel like and probably most certainly are more than we can handle.

It’s a journey, for sure.

Today, I received a phone call from someone I hadn’t spoken to in months. Someone who used to be close to me. I’ll say that I didn’t pick up. The thought of answering that call felt draining. So much has happened in the past two years, I wouldn’t even know where to begin to catch this person up with my life. And to be honest, I don’t have the energy. If you missed it, you missed it.

I have had some time to sit down and grieve certain things. Things like relationships, people in my life who can’t be who they are supposed to be, broken trust, and the list is long. Things that have been beyond messed up. Again, as Lysa TerKeurst says, sometimes life breaks you, and sometimes it turns you to dust.

It has been hard to sit with that pain because it has often meant I don’t get to be the person I want to be around people who surround me, who have no role or fault in any of this. When grief hits us, it hits us hard.

I have gone from deep sadness, to disbelief, to tremendous emptiness, to questioning sometimes just about everything– except God. God is someone that I can never question, in this point in my life. I realized that so much of what had me being so reactive to these circumstances and everyone else (we are being honest, right?) was my own fear that somehow, the way those who hurt me saw me or what they thought of me was somehow true. (This is aside from all the other craziness happening simultaneously, but I can’t control the rest, just me; so I will talk about me and what I can control in the equation). There is something that sort of shatters your soul when someone who has hurt you justifies how and why they hurt you. Sometimes, those lies seep deep into our souls and haunt us for years. But they are exactly that: lies.

Something dramatically shifts in us when we can recognize lies for what they truly are. When we recognize who God says we are and what He offers us, we can begin to truly believe the truth that surrounds us that we may have missed while blinded by hurt, fear and untruths.

800_la-casa-de-bernarda-alba — A classic that depicts how we mourn, by Lorca. A play you will not soon forget.

In my culture, when someone dies, people are known to be in mourning and grieve for a time. They even change their wardrobe to reflect this state of mourning.

I feel like this past month has been a re-emerging out of that grief period. A time to recalibrate, recollect, and gather pieces.

The circumstances that brought on this grief are far from over. In fact, as it is in real life, unlike in the American movies, there may be no denouement. (Maybe this is a French or Spanish film). Definitely not American. Yet, despite this being something that has yet to have a resolution for better or for worse, what has changed is me.

This post is not meant to be some dark twisted set of paragraphs before I go to wash my hair. I had a different purpose.

I needed to go to this dark place where I have been sitting because I need to share with you why I am no longer there.

Lysa TerKeurst writes in her book It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way, that when life turns us into dust, we have to remember that God formed man out of dust. In scripture, He healed a blind man’s sight by spitting into dust. The key is that God can do a lot with dust. When He infuses Himself into it, He creates life. He creates something new.

“The key is that God can do a lot with dust.”

God set a series of books in my path this month. He also made it so that Psalm 40 popped up in every single book, devotional, and sign I read– just everything. It popped up everywhere. It only recently clicked.

This Psalm means so much to me now. It has been an anchor, throughout this time. Here, we see a King David who is worshipping despite his circumstances and despair.

In the middle of His storm, he states:

“Happy are those who make the Lord their trust, who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie.” (v. 4)

He continues by stating: “I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” (v. 10)

Today, I am trying to share with you His saving help, His faithfulness and His salvation. I know that the things I have discovered about myself, the lies that have been torn down in my mind, the identity I can find in Him, the joy I can feel in this moment, despite my circumstances– all of this is because of His steadfast love and His faithfulness.

Even in the midst of pain and a lot of dysfunction, I can still experience deep joy, profound love, and truth. I am so grateful for that. I know that He is with me. He is with me now and in the future, in whatever I will face. If it’s illness, He will provide. Financially, He will provide. If He makes me a spouse, He will provide. If He makes me a parent, He will provide. No matter what, He will provide. And we must remember that God is not just “sufficient”, He is GOD. He goes beyond all we can think, expect or desire.

I was listening to Bobby Bones the other day, and he was talking about things he does because of growing up in poverty or because he has no family (many members of his family passed away from drug use). He said he often keeps himself busy because it gives him less time to feel lonely. And I remember listening to that and stopping in my tracks. That was something I identified with a lot, and not so much out of loneliness (though I have experienced loneliness– I have lived alone for about 8 years and the silence gets to me, at certain times), but I know that I do that a lot when I am feeling hurt or going through something. For me, it’s easier to stay busy than to really sit there and face the music, so to speak. These past few months and weeks have been different, though.

Through the quiet moments of reading, reflection, prayer and time alone, ironically, I have found peace. Maybe not perfection or resolution, but true peace. I am a work in progress.

I was someone who could do a whole workout on adrenaline and still feel completely disconnected from my body. Even the way I exercise has changed. Connecting with our true selves and facing pain can be one of the hardest things we do. Surrendering and letting go of the hurt, all we can’t control and the zaniness of it all can seem foolish, in the moment.

As we spend more time in His presence and frankly seeing ourselves clearly, we can see, like in a mirror, what is actually hurting, instead of masking our symptoms, which we do all to well, in this society.

“No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep on picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, & the clean clothes are in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence,” C.S. Lewis wrote on January 20, 1942 to Mary Neylan in a letter.

“It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence.” C.S. Lewis

One thing I have been so aware of is His promises. One in particular:

“And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, support, strengthen and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10

While I may not see a tidy bow or happy ending now in some aspects of my life, I know He has promised to RESTORE, SUPPORT, STRENGTHEN and ESTABLISH me. He says He will do this HIMSELF. This promise, my friend, is for you, too.

I am carrying His joy, and I am excited of all life has to come. I am, every day, placing my fears, the brokenness and my pain in His able hands.

I don’t have a recipe or secret for you. No 12-step plan. In fact, things in my life could spiral circumstantially. Illness could fall upon me or some other unpredictable event could occur. I am part of the human family that lives on this strange planet called Earth. But here is the thing–

Our joy, sanity and peace– it simply comes down to something that is accessible and promised to all who will seek it:

His presence.

It is there where I have found a renewal that has changed everything. It has been slow, painful, and uncomfortable, but He keeps telling me:

“Behold, I am doing a new thing! […] Do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19)

A lot of the details for the future are blurry, uncertain and unclear, but I perceive it. I hope you will, too.

We are all tattered children, muddied up, as Lewis describes. But the bathrooms are ready, the towels have been put out and the clean clothes are airing.

I’ll keep walking home, no matter what mire the world throws my way. I am determined to make it home. I’ll take a towel, a mirror and the clean clothes.

I’m glad it’s ready because I am coming home.

Stronger in Broken Places

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills.” Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms

Community

By: Gabriela Yareliz

I was walking in downtown Brooklyn, and a young black man was propelling his skateboard forward, at full speed, on the street. He was going at least three times faster than the cars around him. I had never seen anything like it, and the sound was roaring. He zoomed past me and an old white man standing on the sidewalk. We were waiting to cross the street.

“Woohoo! Yes, young man!” The old man beside me yelled toward the young skateboarder.

The young skateboarder slowed as he neared the next intersection. He looked back at us for a second in slight confusion, but then it registered that the old man was cheering him on. The skateboarder put his hands together in front of his heart, a gesture of gratitude to the old man whose arms were up in the air cheering for him.

The old man looked at me and smiled, and I smiled back. We were all completely different in the way we looked, walked, where we were going and pretty much everything else– but we were also, in that moment, all the same.

Words from July 2019

By: Gabriela Yareliz

These were some of the quotes that caught my ear throughout the month. I sort of ended up with a theme, I feel. Those God moments.

From Erwin McManus

mosaic-church-pastor-erwin-mcmanus

“You cannot want a world of justice and walk away from the importance of truth. Because when we walk away from truth, we betray justice.”

“Truth is always an expression of its source.”

“Truth exists because God exists.”

“We only experience loss when there is love.”

From Criss Jami

“Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”

From Albert Einstein

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.”

From Bob Forrest (on The Skinny Confidential Him and Her Podcast)

bob_blog

“For a generation that believes in […] perfection and just society, you guys live in lies every fuckin’ day of who you are to each other, and just bullshit on top of bullshit— and I don’t mean every millennial, but in general, like, there’s a lot of lying going on.”

Emmanuel Macron: Le Déluge

Photograph by Alexander Coggin for The New Yorker

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Lauren Collins’ profile on Macron (in The New Yorker) and the meaning of Macronism has been floating in my head since its June 24, 2019 publishing date.

He doesn’t fascinate me at the Sarkozy level, but I have to say that the profile opened him up to me. He is this complex creature who was enamored by his grandmother, had an affair with his high school teacher who later became his wife, and ended up in political positions he was unlikely headed toward, but made it anyway… and now we are here. MONSIEUR LE PRÉSIDENT. In my mind, at a glance, he isn’t very likeable or clean cut, but up close, one can tell he has a brain that can discern nuance and reality.

Not many people like him. He is described as blunt and seducing. Jacques Attali, a writer and economist I respect, doesn’t think of him as a person who loves risk, but rather as someone who likes “transgression.” YIKES. That said, I like learning about people and looking at the whole picture. There were some quotes and soundbites from the profile that stood out and resonated with me.

In the end, as with anything– Macronism is as complex as Macron himself.

Here we go:

“Macron believes that inequality is unjust if created by circumstances, but acceptable if created by conscious choices. Perhaps his most fundamental belief is in the primacy of individual rights.” (Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, July 1, 2019, pg 33). I have to say the man is onto something. We live in a society that wants to work on extremes and excuses people from personal responsibility.
“For me, there are no forbidden questions. We will not agree on everything, that’s normal, it’s democracy.” Macron (pg 42) In a time of so much division, we need to think this way. Disagreement is important. Dialogue is important. It’s democracy.
“He leaned in and spoke with fire in his voice. ‘I think today we are at a very critical moment,’ he said. ‘We have to accelerate a lot of our transformations, and we are challenged by what people are living through in day-to-day life. I think we have a duty not to abandon any of our idealism but to be as pragmatic as the extremist are. This is a battle. And, even if you die with good principles, you die.'” (43) That last part– it’s a very realistic, it-is-what-it-is attitude. Sometimes, we want to have it all. But the reality may be that living for principles means things end badly for you. If you hold fast to the principles, then you must be willing to pay whatever price is set. Sometimes, you can’t have it all. Life is a battle. There is a battle for the soul, every day. And while Macron and I may or may not agree on what a person should choose, reality will strike us both the same. The difference, if there is any, will be in our satisfaction with the choice we have made.

Grand Hotel

By: Gabriela Yareliz

There are shows like Grand Hotel (and telenovelas, in general) that attract the masses. They are deliciously dramatic, salacious and mysterious.

Part of what makes the storyline what it is are the layers and layers of family secrets and deeds that are being hidden from the audience and others in the story. What I feel isn’t emphasized is enough is just how damaging family secrets can be and the destructive power they can have. It’s not glamorous or intriguing as much as it is painful.

When aspects of your family life seem to crash and burn, I promise you, it’s not as exciting as episode 3 of Grand Hotel. Novelas come to a conclusion when matters come to light and certain things are resolved. It may be some random character coming back to life/ reappearing (don’t ask. If you know, you know); a character dying; something restored or a secret unveiled (ie: someone realizes they are X’s secret child). There is usually a clear victor in the whole ordeal. There are also, usually, some clear losers. In real life, however, does the winner take all? Or if there is a winner at all, is he or she left with a sense of loss, despite victory? (There is my Carrie Bradshaw question).

Ironically, something that makes things more painful, sometimes, is seeing clearly. Sometimes, it’s seeing that can bring us the most disappointment and pain. Yet while seeing can drastically change everything in a negative way, it also means you have the ability to harbor a profound vision of something else that gives you hope.

Regardless of the pain, lies and secrets life may bring into our midst, seeing is everything. Truly seeing means truth. And while someone who has lied will feel imprisoned by truth and all coming to light, and what may follow is an attempt for self-justification and more manipulation— we only make excuses for mistakes— the truth can do something for those who had been groping their way through the darkness.

“And then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:32)

roselyn-sanchez-lincoln-younes-grand-hotel-abc-06 — Image via Just Jared

The Grand Hotel is home to selfish characters with misdeeds, secret identities, secret pasts, webs of lies and people trying to protect one another. We must not forget that for the characters who end up tangled in these webs, the Grand Hotel is not home, it’s exactly that, a hotel. At a hotel, you decide when it’s check out time. (And best to do it before one of these characters who resides at the hotel kills you off. Kidding. We are speaking metaphorically, here).

So, if you find yourself in the Grand Hotel, listen closely, because as my friend Milica would say, I am only going to say this once:

Pack your bags, take a souvenir soap to wash off the filth, and turn in your key.

It’s time to go home.

Happy Birthday, America

By: Gabriela Yareliz

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

[Constitution of the United States of America, Amendment I]

In journalism school, I would often walk past the wall with the First Amendment on display. Every single time I walked by, I read it. It always moved me deeply. At times, it has moved me to tears. (Law nerd, much?) It moves me deeply because I believe it symbolizes the deepest of freedoms. Freedom of conscience and expression. The freedoms that make us who we are.

***

I won’t sit here and pretend you are perfect, America. Growing up here, often meant I felt like I didn’t belong. But that said, I recognize the freedom offered to me so I can say that.

Where else can a person from the projects build a multimillion dollar company? Where else can a person who slept in his car own millions of dollars worth in real estate, years later? Where else can we protest, not fearing death? Where else can an immigrant fight his way to the top? Where else is there a promise lingering for those who work and dream? Where else can you give your children a future radically different from your past? Where else can women embrace the same jobs men do and lead? Where else can you marry someone from a country across the planet from you?

It’s you, America. It’s you. And while the people inside of you can sometimes be hurtful or afraid of what is different, and while you were built on a dark history, it’s also you who gave us leaders that changed not only this country but the world. You gave us a military whose honor cannot be beat.

No matter what I faced in this life, I knew that there was a promise that sat in your open hand, ready for the taking, and a blessing on you from the highest places.

Thank you, America, for your freedom, promise and opportunity. Had I been born or grown up somewhere else, I know I wouldn’t be the same. Here, I have the freedom to worship and believe and share my beliefs.

Here, I have the freedom to put on a blazer and go to court and advocate for others. Here, I can get into a car and drive to wherever I choose to go.

I can be the crazily opinionated person that I am, here. (I promise that in another country, they would have killed me by now). Here, I can write provocative pieces. I can fight for justice and win. And because of that, I will never be the same.

Happy birthday.

“To create is to reflect the image of God. To create is an act of worship.”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

“While it may seem shallow to discuss how we project and adorn ourselves— as with everything, what is on the outside hints at what holds true inside.”

“Whether we realize it or not, everything we do is an expression of either how alive our souls are or how much we have allowed ourselves to be deadened over time.”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

“They look like themselves no matter what trend is captivating the general masses. They set trends just by being themselves.”

“What is your idea of you? Who is it that you have decided to become? If your greatest work of art is the life you live, and ultimately life is a creative act, what life will you choose to leave behind as your masterpiece?”

Erwin Raphael McManus, The Artisan Soul: Crafting Your Life into a Work of Art

FALL TRANSITION

CLEANING

HEALTH

REST

EXPERIENCE

NATURE

Be Human

“That must mean something has been gained.”

“The key is that God can do a lot with dust.”

“It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present to us: it is the very sign of His presence.” C.S. Lewis

From Erwin McManus

“You cannot want a world of justice and walk away from the importance of truth. Because when we walk away from truth, we betray justice.”

“Truth is always an expression of its source.”

“Truth exists because God exists.”

“We only experience loss when there is love.”

From Criss Jami

“Just because something isn’t a lie does not mean that it isn’t deceptive. A liar knows that he is a liar, but one who speaks mere portions of truth in order to deceive is a craftsman of destruction.”

From Albert Einstein

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly.”

From Bob Forrest (on The Skinny Confidential Him and Her Podcast)

“For a generation that believes in […] perfection and just society, you guys live in lies every fuckin’ day of who you are to each other, and just bullshit on top of bullshit— and I don’t mean every millennial, but in general, like, there’s a lot of lying going on.”

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.