Rising Above the Fray
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Hozho
Hozho — a concept found in Navajo Native American culture. This idea references the interconnectedness between beauty, harmony and goodness in all things physical and spiritual. Resulting in health and well being for all things and beings.
In education, Hozho is a construct that asks the learner to embrace their surroundings, actions, interactions and their being. In addition, focuses on spirituality and self awareness, being a part of the universe.
A strive for balance.
Walking in Her Beauty.
As my daughter struggled with her substance use disorder, she was on a continual journey, opening up and feeling the underlying beauty of her experiences. With each relapse, obstacle, loss, trying days in recovery and self discovery, she began recognizing the hopeful prospects of how learning to manage her anxieties, depression, and trauma empower her to rise above the fray.
Embracing those lived experiences as vital to her being, was allowing her to walk in the beauty that is her life. She was becoming part of the universe and striking her balance.
As I Rise
Writing about addiction and mental health issues from the perspective of an artist and parent has become a positive coping mechanism for me. Using words as my voice continues to be a necessary and natural transition. Mainly because of my personal experience through my daughter and those she has met along her journey.
When meeting my daughter’s friends and acquaintances, I was always humbled. They work through their addiction, mental illness and strive for balance in their lives. All these folks have stories to tell about how they came into their substance use disorders. Personal narratives that I could have never imagined in my wildest nightmares.
My heart aches when I think of how they have all struggled. In addition, I have lost count of the number of my daughter’s friends I have met, no longer walking on this physical earth. I feel an emptiness within and empathize with my daughter’s feeling of loss.
Pain and suffering is a part of life. If we are able to move through it, we can reach a higher level of humanity and empathy toward ourselves and others, as we…
