The first sentences to multiple paragraphs that touch upon what I discussed a few hours before sundown:
- One of the most insidious effects of our pervasive self-contempt is self-doubt.
- I don’t know anyone who can think creatively or originally when it feels like everything is going to hell or they’re certain they’re going to make a complete mess of the whole thing.
- Imagine that contempt and compassion were languages instead of practices. Most of us adults didn’t grow up speaking the language of compassion, primarily because we were raised by folks who also never learned it themselves. (emphasis added)
The first two are from page 73, the sentences about the languages of compassion and contempt are page 75, of Carla Naumburg’s You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent: how to practice self-compassion and give yourself a break (2022, Workman Publishing). A few pages earlier, Naimburg offers up the acronym of:
CHAOS stands for Compassion Helps Alleviate Our Suffering
As she wrote, “Chaos isn’t things going wrong; it’s just life doing its thing.” (page 58)
Based on preliminary reading and jumping around, the writing is easy to comprehend, the metaphors are evocative, and the aesthetic is easy on the eyes.
washing dishes: a father’s glimpses 