The Specifically Particular Guide to a Wild and Wondrous Life was born out of a difficult season of loss and grief. The dissolution of so many elements that had formed my identity revealed the most meaningful and authentic pieces of my life. I learned to sit with my pain. I learned to live more presently. I learned to heal. Most importantly, I learned to recognize and trust my own voice.
As I moved out of that season, I began to ask myself what mattered most in my life. How did I most want to spend the precious remaining hours, days, and years of it? And how could I cultivate the same wonder and awe that had marked my youth, a time when I was so fully present without consciously trying?
These are some of the questions I explore here. It is a space to learn, grow, and collectively cultivate wonder and awe! Thank you for joining me on this journey!
Read more about the origins of the title here..
Introducing… The Specifically Particular Guide to a Wild and Wondrous Life
My brother used to say, “if you’re going to be particular, you’d better be specific.” I had forgotten how much I loved the phrase until I heard it repeated at his eulogy. I’m not sure it’s meant to be, but I think it’s a profoundly beautiful statement. It grants permission to be particular in your…
Keep reading
Dana is a former English teacher, current doctoral student, sometimes writer, and always mother in Charlottesville, VA. Her PhD concentration is Education Policy and Justice, with a focus on the use of mindfulness and trauma-informed interventions to interrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. Her memoir (un)tethered will be published sometime before she dies.
The Specifically Particular Guide to a Wild and Wondrous Life 