10 Comments
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Katrina Donham's avatar

I love this so much! Thank you, Abigail! In my most recent personal essay for Human/Mother, I recounted the conversation about death with my five-year-old and ended up on the subject of living. I told her that "loving is living." The ending of your post here made me think of what I had *just* published. Anyway, love reading your words! Keep going!

Abigail A Mlinar Burns's avatar

Omg how ~collective consciousness~ of us!! I’m going to go read your post asap. Thanks for reading and keep at it right back 🄰😘😘😘

Jess Martin's avatar

This is the best internet hug ever. Thank you.

Abigail A Mlinar Burns's avatar

🄹 I love this description. Thank YOU! ā¤ļø

annie & words's avatar

Soooooo slippery to be swept into the screen…over and over again.

Presence, our potent power 🩵

Abigail A Mlinar Burns's avatar

It’s so easy to spend time poorly!

mothercourage's avatar

gorgeous, Abigail

Abigail A Mlinar Burns's avatar

🄲 thank you!! I’ve been festering on this thought for some time and hoped it would hit alright. I’m glad you liked it.

Yorgos's avatar

Time isn’t the only thing that costs money…space does too, along with nearly everything in it. Most dimensions of life have been commodified, save for the ones we’ve yet to name. Simply existing carries a price in the system we inhabit. But as you suggest, that price reflects a deviation from a parallel reality—the one you describe. The deeper question is: why are people’s lived realities normalized within a structure so misaligned with the experience of those who shape it?

Abigail A Mlinar Burns's avatar

Why are they indeed. Capitalism is an easy enemy. But again, ā€˜we’ chose that, too. One hunch is it’s our human nature, right? The two sides, the push the pull, the magnets driving us forward and apart. We must work against the negative nature instead of giving in to it.

Thanks for the chat on the topic! I could go on for hours ā¤ļø