Touching...
I don’t remember what video it was, but I shared a video with the children, and as we were watching it, Monkey turned to me, her eyes were filled with tears. It wasn’t a particularly sad video. It was moving and beautiful, and she keenly felt the wonder and joy and power of it.
One of the many things I have always appreciated about The Monkey is that I often see myself in her feelings and perceptions of things. I’ll work very hard to not box her in in any ways, but it has often been helpful when she is feeling overwhelmed by emotion because I instinctively connect with what she is feeling.
When I traveled in Spain for the first time, I saw The Holy Trinity by Ribera, and dissolved into gut-wrenching sobs in the small side gallery that houses the painting at The Prado.
Being open to the force of emotion that sometimes comes with a book or painting or movie…what a gift to ourselves.