I was asked recently if I was proud of myself. It stopped me in my tracks.
At first I was like, yeah…of course! And then I started listing all the things I’m grateful for. It was quickly pointed out that a deep pride in oneself is a slightly different frequency than gratitude.
Gratitude can sometimes feel as if we are amazed at how we have been magically blessed with things. But pride implies ownership and responsibility.
So I rolled my shoulders back, took a deep breath, and felt my body expand as I sunk into the feeling of being proud of my strength and courage to go off on my own, connect deeper to my lineage, and step into my leadership - all at once.
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I am in the practice of learning how to be big. How to be proud and open-hearted ~ in service to things much larger than me.
And it’s scary as hell. And exhilarating.
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Sicilia is a place that oozes with pride. While traveling there, I witnessed people who deeply love where they are from…their family…their history. They are proud.
There’s a pride that comes from knowing who you are. Knowing your roots. A humble pride that helps inform your next steps with wisdom.
It’s been my experience that U.S. “culture” cuts you off from that feeling. The general culture doesn’t encourage honoring the dead or ancestors. Modern western culture encourages assimilation and leaving traditions behind. I see a lot of “White Americans” of European descent who have no information on their ancestral traditions or family history.
There are countless factors that contribute to this but ultimately I feel it is a disservice to us all. We are at a time where we would only benefit from learning our familial and cultural history and how they relate to the current situations that humans face today.
When my Sicilian family came to the U.S., they eventually naturalized and shortened their name to fully disconnect and blend in. It was a brilliant and understandable survival strategy and I don’t blame them for wanting to create this new life. But I believe a severing happened at each of those moments…a disconnection to the land & lineage. From the culture, the language, the wisdom.
Someone told me recently that when you change your name you change your destiny…
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I have always felt so drawn to the family name: Parlavecchio.
Parla=speak
Vecchio=old
I believe it’s now my turn to speak of the old.
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I’m on a journey of reclamation. A returning.
A returning to my roots. To pride.
To knowing myself fully.
I feel all the pieces coming together and you’re damn right I’m proud.
Because it takes leaning in.
This journey has been a culmination of all that I have navigated in my life and all the tools I’ve learned.
To be able to make it to this point and say I AM proud because I KNOW who I am is such a gift.
I am learning the innate gifts that live in my body & in my bloodline and I am determined to live fully and embody them, with my heart open. With deep pride for all who have lived and died so I could be here.
I wish for this feeling for anyone longing to explore deeper into their family, lineage, & body. Deeper into the magic of plants supporting us and cheering us on. The magic deep inside the earth. All that is calling us to return.
Wisdom is present in the stories of our greats and grands, in their stories of birth and death. Their stories live and breathe through us every day.
They are calling for us to remember.
So if you feel curious about your family, don’t ignore the whispers. There’s a reason we are being drawn to this.
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I’m so excited to be sharing more of this heart-opening journey, as it unfolds… ❤️🌹🌋
Thank you for being here.
With love,
Lisa Marie xx
If you could use some community care, here are this month’s offerings:
-1:1 support for those moving through death, loss, & transition.
-Monthly Women’s Circle at the End of August: date to be announced soon!
reach out at belovedgateway@gmail.com for more details.