MORNING ANTHEM by Michiella Stone
Sunlight bleeds through the gaps of her blinds
Scroll scroll scroll
What’s next?
This primer is supposed to minimize my pores
It doesn’t
Alexa, what’s the weather today
Alexa, what’s today’s news
Alexa, play
Rush
Rush
Rush
I rob myself of time
Hurry
Hurry
Hurry
I can’t be the late friend again
Out the door, to be present
Forsaking myself and my
Spiritual and mental needs
But wait,
Why do we violate ourselves with busy schedules?
The lie that it indicates importance dances before me
What is this chase?
A full calendar assuring me of my worth
Things to get done, places to be, people to meet with
No, daughter
Not even close
Learn to be still, precarious one
For in stillness of self you’ll find security
Let me tell you
From the moment of your birth
Your beginning began
Constellations can be traced from the freckles on your back
And they indicate that you were not created to live a life of chasing value
Promises that are deeper than the darkness of her pupils
It promises a movement
Yet
Where has she been? What has she seen?
Heartbreak
But
Let me tell you
The tears you’ve cried do not go to waste
Let me tell you
That by grace you experienced that heartbreak
And by grace you overcame it
And again, by grace
You will shout from the mountains how you grew from it
For the next girl to hear
For we
Must unlearn
The mold we have adopted
And we will see that we were made to be free
From the question of value
It was never a question to begin with
Author: Michiella Stone
Michiella Stone
Becoming a mother in my early 20’s incited me to create a space that I could call my own. My love for writing and desire to offer hope to other women through what I shared became the basis of starting my blog. It served as my personal outlet where I could unpack and reflect on emotions or learning experiences (that’s why it’s dubbed as “my open grace and growth journal”). I quickly learned that an individual’s choice to be vulnerable can be powerful. If we look around us today, writing is as valuable as ever as it keeps us tethered to ourselves, the world around us, and our neighbors who inhabit it with us.
I have had the honor to be a writing contributor for a non-profit, Imperishable Beauty, where I shared my story and wrote from my faith. Now I have the honor of being a contributor for Woman Up where I look forward to writing from the woman I am. I am grateful for these opportunities because beyond allowing me to water my passion, they allow me to keep learning. I have so much to learn from my fellow writing contributors and the readers of Woman Up. I believe that learning can be synonymous with receiving, therefore we should try to always be ready to learn and give. My hope is that other women would feel seen and heard through what I have to give here. It is my hope that my words, inspired from my own challenges, would touch her and remind her that she is not alone, that she is capable, and that she is worthy.
In this day and age, a blog can generate a community. Let’s be a community that lifts each other up, is not afraid to take up space in the room, and humbly continues to grow in knowledge and compassion.