"I was missing something. Missing something very dearly, and I became curious and excited by ideas of what would nourish me.
An acquaintance of mine shared a story and led me in a new direction on nourishment. She felt that her family had never accepted her chosen path in life, didn't encourage her on any level. She sought comfort in therapy only to be derided by family members with their chorus of "Are you still in therapy?" Her translation... "Are you still fucked up?"
The time came when she was starring in Tennessee Williams, The Rose Tattoo, and she knew what she needed, and she finally asked for it. In a polite note to her family, she requested they send flowers opening night and for the run of the show. Every day flowers showed up at the theater with a note that said, "We are proud of you." The flowers fed her, nourished the dream she held for so long, night after night, the flowers told the story of acceptance. She related how nourished she felt by the very sight of the flowers. When the show closed, for the first time in her life she felt full.
Note to Mel: Revelation.
Nourishment could mean many different things. Food wasn't the only item that could be nourishing. Nourishment could be applied to self, needs, desires, feelings, wants, ideas, you name it. This concept blipped so strongly on my radar, the signal growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. Beckoning long forgotten parts of myself. "Nourish yourself. Do it. Now."
Excerpt from Melanie Lutz's THE BARE MELCESSITIES: Walking Out. Waking Up. Getting Bare Nourishment chapter available at Amazon.
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Check out the website www.thebaremelcessities.com
Photography by Louise Lutz
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