Skip to content

Not Broken. Not Mending.

sewing a scar closed tattoo

What if we started from the premise:
we are not broken.
we are not mending.

We are living through one day that just so happens to be nothing like the last.  We are crying tears few our age understand and grieving losses too old for our young years.

What if we started from the understanding:
we are not broken.
we are not fighting.

We are seeing glimpses into a world more complicated than might be.  Nursing wounds both inside and out.  We are learning to love and live in a way both profound and terrifying.

What if we start from the knowledge:
we are not broken.

There is nothing to fix, everything to lose, and everything to gain.  Just like before.

What if we start to tell ourselves:
we are not broken.

We are in process.  We are changing.  We are living in and through great hurt and compassion.

How would you respond to the writing prompt, a tattoo of a needle and thread sewing up a scar?

—

This writing comes directly from one of our participants in our Unspoken Ink Creative Writing Group for young adult cancer survivors.  The participants met for 2 hours each week, for 8 weeks during our Winter 2018 session.  This writing has not been edited since its original creation, showing the wonderfully raw and powerful prose coming from the courageous writing group participants each week.  If you’d like to sign up for future sessions, please email info@lacunaloft.org or sign up on our interest form.