The War Remnants Museum in Saigon is a museum that does not shy away from the purpose of its existence. Its core thesis is evident in every exhibition, every photograph, even the song that plays on repeat with the haunting vocals of a child echoing across the halls. On the second floor of the museum… Continue reading In the Midst of Motorbike Storms: Saigon and Reflections on Finding Calm and Movement
This morning I woke up to multiple messages of folk checking in on me, saying they were thinking of George Floyd and wondering how I was doing, how I've been. I let the phone fall from my fingers, my thoughts mired in the space that for those who are not often in communication with me,… Continue reading A Requiem for Rest and Life
For the past few weeks the sun has decided to shine down on my slice of the Bay, bringing warmth and comfort as spring finally takes a steady hold of the land. I lift my head up to the sun each morning, close my eyes, and bask in delight as the rays dance across the… Continue reading A Winter of Loneliness, Exhaustion, Solitude, Rest, and Gratitude
"To provide for those who grieve...to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes." Isaiah 61:3 Last night during my small group for church, our pastor had us reflect on the biblical passage: "The people who survived the sword, found favor in the wilderness while Israel was seeking rest" (Jeremiah 31:2). That passage evokes… Continue reading Beauty for Ashes
I was reminded recently at church that rest is an act of worship. That I must remember Mama Angelou's words that the world will keep going even if I stop to breathe. That it is in these moments that I pause to take in the beauty of the world. I recently went to Alaska for… Continue reading Resetting
“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away… Continue reading Days Away
Odelia Younge 