Bless

the unwanted, just to see what happens

…specifically, here is a blessing for six months post layoff, during a summer of extreme weather, continuing war[s], continual political upheaval [in an election year], and so on.¹

A blessing for six months to the day of being laid off
in the year 2024

Maybe you were dismissed
so abruptly it felt like there was nothing
but shock to take with you 
on the unwanted journey ahead

Maybe the past six months
have felt full of firmly closed doors
or doors that open just enough
to allow a glimpse of what could have been 

Maybe those doors 
are connected by paths
lined with thorns created
by the pairing of fear and desire

Maybe (likely)
you’re tired and ready
for something, anything
to be different

At any rate, despite
what has or hasn’t happened
in the weeks between then
and now

May the journey ahead
become yours, even if the origin wasn’t.
 
May the journey ahead be full of doors 
that open toward knowing your worth. 

May the journey ahead connect you to the joy 
created by existing in community. 

May the journey ahead find you bearing witness to beauty
even in a burning world. 

Let go of the feeling that you are somehow not good enough.
Because every imperfect apple that lays soft in your hands, and every ray of low Autumn sunlight that warms you through woolens will tell you a different story, a much truer story. The story that you are more, much more, than enough. That you bless this world simply by being alive. -Asia Suler

Remember that last sentence.  You bless this world simply by being alive, and you are like fireweed, one of the first plants to sprout after a wildfire.  Resilient, full of grit, an offering of beauty that remains even when other things pass away, new life rising from the ashes of the old. Even if finding a new job seems impossible, the question remains: What else IS possible?

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Preorder Stories from the Trail, an anthology I put together along with

Connor Wolfe

for Wayfarer Books! Totally possible, and highly recommended.

1. Yes, this is pretty much a note to self sort of post, but I’m definitely not alone in the “I still haven’t found a job” sector, especially at the intersection of tech and health. Which is why I’d prefer my next paying gig to include wandering around in the woods, no productivity metrics to meet, and minimal computer time.