Aloud: Normalizing Taboo Topics

Hey, Cadre friends. Good morning. It is Shannon from aloud. Happy Monday, Shannon. I'm the founder of allowed, and we exist to talk about taboo topics and help you see people like you, hear stories of people like you so that you feel less alone, and so you know that whatever you're going through as a human is actually very normal. Okay? So today I'm gonna do something a little different. I'm gonna read you a poem, and I'm gonna read you a poem from a poet named Mary Oliver. And so some of you may know her, if you've done any, you know, any grief work, I guess you may know of her, or she's just.

She's a really famous poet. So before I read it, it's called wild geese. It's a very famous poem, but before I read it, I want to say one thing. So, as a person who lives with a lot of stuff mentally, right, anxiety and stress and parenting a child with special needs, sometimes my thoughts or sort of where I live, some people might think it's not darker, but deeper, right? Like, I'm always thinking about feelings. I'm always thinking about other people's feelings. And so I'm just super cognizant of all of that.

Morning, Luke. It's nice to see you. So, thinking about feelings, though, doesn't always have to be dark. Good morning. Speak, wonder. Thinking about feelings can also be a really positive thing. So I'm going to read you this poem called Wild Geese, and then I'm just going to tell you a quick message to. To get you off to the week. So here, I'm gonna grab my computer. Forgive me as I read it, but here I go. It's called wild geese. And the poet again is Mary Oliver. You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for 100 miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. Tell me about despair yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile, the world goes on. Meanwhile, the suns and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers. Meanwhile, the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again. Okay, now listen to this part. Whoever you are, no matter how lonely the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting, over and over, announcing your place in the family of things.

So I'm actually getting emotional. I think sometimes, as people who have feelings and emotions and deal with things that are hard we don't know where our place is in the family of things. Right. And especially as we get into the holiday season, I don't know for anyone else if that's a hard time. It definitely is for me. And so I think what I love about this poem and what I want to say to you today is that you have a place in the world. You have a place in the family of things. You just do it just inherently.

You do. And so, again, going back to that very beginning, you do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for 100 miles repenting. Just let your body love what it loves. So that's my message to you today. I'm going to try to also live it. But, yeah. Thank you. I know. Speak wonder. Mary Oliver is amazing, amazing, amazing. I may actually end up reading another one of her poems, but if you want to sort of be remembered or remember, remind yourself that you have a place. She's a great place to go.

So you always have a place. You have a place here with us. Also at aloud. We always. You're great. Exactly who you are. So thank you for being here. Thank you for being here, Luke. Thank you for being here. Speak. Wonderful. I hope you both have a beautiful, beautiful week and everyone else out there, and we will talk to you soon from Cadre and aloud. Have a beautiful Monday, Cadre friends.