In the park yesterday morning, I found out through my Facebook feed that my friend Jamie Zimmerman had suddenly died on Monday. Drowned in the ocean while on vacation in Hawaii. I had just seen her last month, and was going to be seeing her again at the end of this month at Soul Camp. Tears kept pouring out of me as I read the posts and stories people were posting online.
Jamie was 31 years old, a doctor, a teacher of meditation, and a light and inspiration to so many. It breaks my heart that we are saying goodbye to her presence here on earth.
I sat on a bench and meditated in honor of Jamie.
I felt my breath. I took in the sun. I gave myself permission to just be. (All things that I tend to struggle with on a normal day)
There’s no way to make sense of such a sudden passing of a life, but there is a way to take hold of the life you have right now.
Before I found out about Jamie, I was going to write to you about going easy on yourself. To not push so hard or try so hard. To give yourself permission to slow down.
I’ve heard these things a million times, and I’m sure you have too, but there was something in particular about this week that made the “going easy” seem even more necessary.
Take the pressure off yourself to be perfect. You already are.
Nourish yourself with kind words and good nutrients.
Love yourself first, and then go share love with someone today.
And after all that, make art.
If I could, I would invent giant arms that could cradle us all together right now and rock us to sleep like baby kittens on a sunny afternoon.
honoring Jamie and everyone we have lost, Jess
