Somedays, I feel like I’m unraveling; others, I feel like I’m unwinding yarn off of a skein to make a project flow smoothly. I suppose these feelings are why I connected so strongly to Susannah Conway‘s Unraveling projects. Each year, I eagerly anticipate her workbooks to review the year gone by, plan for the year ahead, and select a guiding word for the new year. She’s a natural when it comes to processing these emotions. So of course when she announced her Unraveling Midlife course, this 42-year-old woman squealed with joy!
Although the adage claims “the Internet never forgets,” I can’t seem to locate the article by Brenda Della Casa on the “Quarter Life Crisis” I read nearly half a lifetime ago at this point, but it sure does feel like life has been one big crisis after another for this elder Millennial! With the state of the world these days paired with the usual perimenopausal hormones, it’s no wonder I feel a sense of confusion, disillusionment, wanderlust, hiraeth, and yearning all at once. Who am I? What am I doing? Where am I going? Why am I doing all of this (do you see me gesturing broadly)? Am I following the right path? Have I lost my way? Will it all matter tomorrow? The questions are endless these days — nearly as endless as they were when I questioned my life’s choices during my pre-veterinary days of undergraduate education.
Starting Monday, I take a ten month journey with Susannah to unravel myself; starting Monday, I begin with unraveling the past of those who came before me. Who were my ancestors, the ones who left the familiar surroundings of home to start life anew in New York City? If I connect back to their possible stories — the elements I can identify from records and texts — will I see common themes? Can unraveling their stories help me? Time will tell.
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