My Freedom Manifesto

This summer I got a tattoo.

I had been reflecting on this phrase for years,  but as I sat there on my yoga mat thinking about Asia’s question: “what moment in your life have you felt truly free,” I knew that this was it. This was the line that would encapsulate my manifesto.

It comes from a child’s book called “Give Her the River: A Father’s Wish for his Daughter.” I received it after my dad passed away 4 years ago. It was something he had wanted to give me for a while but hadn't. It was beautiful, and as I flipped through the illustrated pages of a father and daughter adventuring through rivers and forests It felt like a perfect description of my relationship with my dad, and how we used to spend our time together. It felt divine and bigger than myself. It came when I needed it most,and when we were situated by one of the biggest rivers in the world- Victoria Falls.

“if I could give her anything,

anything at all,

in all of the world

to show how I love her,

I’d give her the river”

These words seem to constantly be ringing through my head, as if to re-assure me in moments of self-doubt, in moments that feel like his presence is far gone. These words reform and reshape as I myself reform and reshape. A few months ago I hiked through a forest that me and my dad used to frequent, and rewrote my own version of these lines:

Give Her The River

He said matter o’ factly,

As if everyone should already know that she deserved the world

Or at least the flowing streams of abundance that washed over her

Every single day since he left earth

Give Her The River

So if she ever has any doubts

That he still loves her

She will sit beside the gentle waters

And feel his presence wash over her

Giver Her The river

And she will promise to give it back

In gratitude to those around her

(or at least try her very best)

A piece of the love that she has known

Give Her The River

And she will be free from the old habits of grief, sorrow, and suffering

She will own her pain, but not run from it

She will live by her own scripts, and her own passions

These have been moments of freedom for me. Being able to grieve and feel hurt or confused but also feel deeply loved in those moments. And then after all that is done, being able to stand up and let it go. Sometimes literally dropping pages of writing into rivers and just walking away. After being in the depths of grief I now get to choose what feelings I would attach to, and that is incredibly freeing.

So my manifesto is rooted that book, and my tattoo. It is a dedication to capturing that moment, and committing myself to the pursuit of freedom. It acknowledges and honors the process of letting go, while feeling my emotions deeply and not running from them. It allows me to choose every day what feeling I ascribe to.

Because this explanation and description of my tattoo is long and rambly, also I created an infographic that has further stemmed out this idea of freedom. My manifesto is not singular or selfish. It acknowledges my connectedness to others and expects the responsibility to give back what has been given to you… I almost always do this through food and community.  It has more tangible life practices that I try my best to live by. Along with my tattoo that I walk with everyday, this Manifesto is a constant reminder of the values I hold.