family manifesto


Jo Ann Ritter, scenes from the Outer Cape

Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable.
You will learn this from my words and my actions; the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.
I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness. You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see my practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.
We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability.
We'll share our stories of struggle and strength.
There will always be room in our home for both.
We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first, then with each other.
I want you to know joy so together we'll practice gratitude.
I want you to feel joy so together we'll learn how to be vulnerable.
Together we'll cry and face fear and grief.
I will want to take away your pain, but instead, I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.
We will laugh and sing and dance and create.
We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other, no matter what.
You will always belong here.
As you begin your whole-hearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give to you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.
I will not teach or love or show you anything perfectly,
but I will let you see me and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you,
truly, deeply seeing you.

~BrenĂ© Brown
The Path Made Clear (Oprah Winfrey)


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