I Just Want to Go Back: A Spilling Story
“Sometimes the weight feels like a feather where I can just glide and float through the day.
Then a moment will hit. Hard.
Smack in the face or pressing down so hard on my shoulders that I feel like death is hitting me. Moments like having a good friend offer to make local doorstep deliveries for me, but when he comes to pick up the packages, I have to set them down, back up and step away from them. I watch him put on gloves to pick up and load the packages. A friend for over 15 years who is more of a family member than a friend, that I have to back away from as though he is a leper or as though I am. I smile and express my gratitude, then walk up a flight of stairs and let the tears stream down my face. The feather turned into a boulder.”
Welcome back to The Spilling Stories, a special series dedicated to abandoning the idea that we need to hold it all together and showcasing the grit it takes to allow ourselves to spill over.
These are stories of resilience, of ordinary women who are willing to let their grief take up space, so that it can serve their greatness.
In today's episode, we sat down with Katie Thompson, owner and curator of THE Market - A Journey to Joy. Katie's shop is home to 40 small business owners, all of whom she feels a personal sense of responsibility for. Add to that Katie's roles as wife, daughter, and mother, and she finds herself in a position of trying to be a lot of things to a lot of people. We talk about holding it all together, and spilling over a little when we need to.