Tag: the foreign exchange (page 1 of 1)

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May 20, 2018 / 0 Comments

Don’t Wait


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“If someone loves you back, don’t get in the way. Don’t hold it back. Don’t wait.”

— The Foreign Exchange

Meditation: Love and Gratitude, 7 minutes

It’s been seven years and seven days. I’m not going to retell our wedding story even though it’s my favorite tale. We celebrated Tuesday night with a meal at Native in Santa Monica. In between magical bites and delicious sips, we marveled at the passage of time. Seven years married, ten years together come this September, fifteen some odd years of knowing each other existed in the world.

Time moves and love is powerful. The most reverend Michael Bruce Curry said during yesterday’s Royal Wedding:

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We are actually family like last Sunday when my immediate family and her cousins broke bread together in our house on Mother’s day. We ate and drank and talked as if everyone were blood and had known each other for years when, in fact, these two groups had never shared the same space before.

Seven years and seven days mean a lot of routines, many battles for space in the kitchen, and frustrations about chores. There are concessions and conflicts. Days of silent treatment and disappointment.

Every moment—even the ones that aren’t sunshine and soft shoulders and feet entwined and hands clasped and boisterous belly laughs—has been full of love.

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Love to make men better. Love to make me better. When I remember our wedding, I like to recall my vows. I entered this partnership not by thinking of what I might gain but of what I might give. Every day I challenge myself to think about how to be more kind and compassionate to her and then by extension how do I bring that from the home to my work and my community and the world.

Seven years and seven days. May each that follows be even greater.

Better together.

And I’m grateful.

October 29, 2013 / 0 Comments

The Nest::The Abyss

“Tell me you’ll stay by my side for all time (not just the moment).” – The Foreign Exchange, The Moment

This comic was shared across a variety of channels yesterday by several of my friends and loved ones with affirmations of “yes” and “perfect” and “THIS!”


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As someone who has never struggled with depression personally but have often, over the years, been in the position of wanting to ease another’s burden, this speaks to me, too, but I imagine in a different way.

I’m all about those first three panels. I think I’ve learned to ask how I can help and that the most helpful thing is often to be available to listen or just to be there or to just clear the brush. To help make room for the feels (or the lack of feels or whatever way depression has chosen to manifest itself).

To build the nest.

I’m all about building that nest. Anything I can do to help you see your way through the dark places.

Except…that last panel. Oh, you want me to crawl in with you?

Pause.

See, that nest doesn’t look like a nest to me. I think I get what it does for those that need it but, to me? It looks like the abyss. It’s the dark cave. It’s the muck. It’s quicksand. It’s the emotional deep end.

I don’t want to go to there.

I tend to mimic the emotions of those around me. If you’re snippy, eventually, I’m going to be snippy. If you’re over the moon happy, it’s likely I’m going to glom on to that, too.

So, you, in the nest (the abyss) beckoning me to come in (come down) with you? I’m scared.

I’m scared I’m going to lose my balance. I’m afraid I’m going to get lost down there with you. Without a flashlight. Or a rope.

And if we’re both down there, who’s going to dig us out? I need reassurances. Can I timebox my time in the cocoon (cave)? Can I leave as soon as the gloom appears?

Sometimes, I’ve got the fortitude to face those fears without asking those questions and come on in anyway but, more often than not, I don’t. That’s the realization I got from that comic. That that last part is hard and frightening and in an effort to take care of my own emotional well being, I’m rarely strong enough for it.

I’m trying, though.

 

August 30, 2013 / 0 Comments

#WorthWatching: Making Jesus Sexy

First thing you should know is that if you only watch one clip in this video, watch The Choir episode 1 from 55 seconds in until about 2:40. Trust me.

There’s a lot of weird and awesome and sublime in these 7 clips. Most weird is Ace Discovery which I’m not even sure I can explain or defend. Most awesome is probably Beyonce’s clip with appearances by Les Twins, Kid President, and some of her youngest and most delighted fans.  

I noted on twitter that I don’t watch RuPaul’s Drag Race (mostly because it doesn’t come in HD on our TV yet) but I am subscribed to RuPaul Drives… Check the premiere episode featuring Henry Rollins and a conversation about looking for love and you’ll see why. 

Oh, and we close out the playlist with three songs. Two are comedy tracks and one is from The Foreign Exchange’s upcoming album. 

And all three are weird and awesome and sublime.