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Making friends as an adult is not easy, especially for a socially awkward introvert who can’t walk into a room of people without hyping herself up.(You should see the hype routine). Looking back, I now know I lost a lot of my life and who I’d been while I was married. A lot of friendships changed—as they do anyway—and some of the closest friends I had then were his. I’d lost a group of artistic writer friends before him, and after him, I felt like I’d lost my best friend—because I had. Still, those friendships I’d seen as drifting away did come around. When my dad died, they were there. When my wasband left, they were there. Still it wasn’t the same because I’d changed. Climbing back out of the wreckage, I’ve made acquaintances and strengthened bonds that I thought were at first frivolous or forced. Then I returned to the writing scene. Then I returned to the social scene. I returned to live my life as a new person, backed by therapy and Buddhism. Then this workshop came along. Here was a monthly gathering for not only reading but creating. The pandemic hit a few months later and my upward climb to building all who I am plateaued. Then suddenly, a friend I’d grown close to decided to not be part of my life, and losing someone special when we’re in these strange times is a greater loss than usual. And then all the losses piled up at once. And also, so did my friendships. I would not be able to be living this life if I didn’t have the most wonderful people surrounding me with such generosity, kindness, and heart. I am an adult, and I’ve made new friends, the kind I can call in the middle of the night if I need to, and also the kind who wouldn’t be into that, and that’s ok too. People need people in all different ways. Sometimes when you’re lost and you don’t know where to find your tribe, your tribe finds you. I am so grateful for the friends I’ve had for decades and the new ones I’ve made and for this writing workshop that lifts my spirits with every single word. #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #heartbreak #friendshipismyfavoriteship #thankyouforbeingafriend #longisland #longislandpoetry #longislandwriter #southbaysundays #writingworkshop

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jun 28, 2020 at 1:26pm PDT

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Here’s the sun and the clouds unfiltered. And now here’s me unfiltered: I once had a seven year friendship with an artist whose work stunned me. Through her, I met another poet, whose work was also stunning. Those years were filled with impromptu artistic salons, bridal showers and a wedding, long days of hanging out at the preserve, eating African peanut soup, yoga, and the tribulations and sagas of men. Then one of those sagas took a turn. For months, maybe even a year, she’d been seeing someone I’d dated that ended with him simply never calling me. It wasn’t the guy that shook me. It was the lie. It was the getting the email that said I need to tell you something and the story of how they were going to Venice because they were in love. It was realizing that all that time, I’d been the only one in the room who didn’t know. Maybe I knew on some level—found it odd that he’d show up in places where we were. Felt our friendship being strained by something I couldn’t figure out. That friendship ended abruptly. My poet friend then said if it truly was the lie, then I wouldn’t be speaking to her or anyone in their circle. And she was right. An entire world of artists cut out. I know I’m better for it, but to lose that much all at once devastates the soul. And now, it’s coming back to me, like all the other losses that continue to pile high, and so I walk, always looking up, continuing to go through to get through. #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #essayist #creativenonfiction #longislandwriter #nofilter #amwriting #grantpark #alwayslookup #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifecoachingtips #reikipractitioner #yogalife #Buddhistlife

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jun 30, 2020 at 10:16am PDT

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Four weeks makes one month. No, I’m not over it. We are never over it. We get through. I’m not through yet, either. The other day I got angry at myself, thinking I’m overreacting. I wrote a list of recent losses. It went twenty deep and I hadn’t reached all the deaths yet. So no, I’m not overreacting. I’m grieving everything all at once, and that may be a silver lining. Go through it all at once so that when I’m through, I’m through. Which isn’t realistic. Things happen. Remember when the tree fell on me? I could have died, and I didn’t. Anyone can die at any time. People leave. Love changes, or maybe chemistry shifts. So when I go through to get through, that means everything. It means life. It means always moving forward into the sad and into the joy. It means taking chances knowing that hurt exists and could happen, and so does beauty and bliss. It means I am so grateful that I’ve found gratitude, truly and genuinely, and I know it’s real because blue skies make me tear up with awe, bunnies make me gasp and giggle, and a smile returned makes me believe the world is good and still can be a better place. I want to be part of that, and through this maybe I already am. #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #longisland #heckscherstatepark #alwayslookup #essayist #creativenonfiction #longislandwriter #fitspo #piyo #piyobod #ispyny #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifecoachingtips #reikipractitioner #yogalife #Buddhistlife

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jul 3, 2020 at 8:46am PDT

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Once upon a time, I was Auntie Christina to three wonderful girls. I was scared to be an aunt because I don’t get children. Like, what do we talk about? Like, how do I play? This confusion stems from my never being a child myself; I was always a little adult. I’m more of a kid now than I’ve ever been, and that’s what made me able to fit the role seamlessly. I loved being an aunt. It’s been a few years since I’ve been called an aunt. I never got to say goodbye—but there have been a few messages here and there, one of the true perks of Insta. Even so, it’s not the same. When I was pushed out of love, my brother fell in it, and along came two little girls. I didn’t want to meet any of them because I didn’t want to invite in more people who could just as easily be taken away. The day I signed my divorce papers, I met my brother’s girlfriend. They clearly were in love. I liked her a lot. Then one day I met her girls. And now we’re the best of friends. I’m still scared of loss and also so grateful for joy. PS: We’re all walking on the same foot! #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #essayist #creativenonfiction #longislandwriter #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifecoachingtips #reikipractitioner #yogalife #Buddhistlife

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jul 5, 2020 at 9:23am PDT

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My photography friend snapped this during a photo shoot when we were happily blowing bubbles at Jones Beach. Where are the bubbles and where is the fun? This photo is proof that we can feel more than one emotion in a moment. Here I am happy and fierce. I’m frustrated and carefree. This was before the death of my dad and before the disappearance and divorce of my wasband. Even then, when I consciously thought life was perfectly fine, I contained multitudes below the surface. Here they made a quick appearance. Now a few years later, my therapist says this sucks, meaning all the loss and how it’s retroactively coming up. All my losses are real, so feeling sad is completely natural, which means I’m being super normal in an abnormal world. The main difference between then and now is my confidence in letting my insecurities shimmer and my confusion shine. There is power in letting go of embarrassment and embracing the awkward discomfort of uncertainty. I don’t know exactly who I am, but I’m grateful I have the opportunity to figure it out. This, all of it, is my best life. #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #essayist #creativenonfiction #longislandwriter #longislandphotoshoot #jonesbeach #warriorprincess #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifecoachingtips #reikipractitioner #yogalife #Buddhistlife

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jul 8, 2020 at 9:37am PDT

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Today I made new memories. I went to this park once by myself. The second time I went was with someone, and it was my first time out in the world after quarantine started. I was freaked out by all the people living their lives. This had all been going on as I’d been holed up in my house for months. I felt safe only because who I was with made me feel that way. Today I went back a third time, found the long path around the lake, and walked that as well as some of the trails I’d previously taken. I was alone and felt safe because I finally remember my own strength. New memories to replace the samskara. New memories to build new neural pathways. I’ve become attached to the walking, which is the opposite of vairagya, or non-attachment. At the same time, walking is helping me practice Aparigraha, non-possessiveness, because slowly I feel the non-attachment to the brokeness emerge. This is the duality of yoga. This is the duality of life. Letting go of letting go. Going through to get through. The other side is more life of the same. Life doesn’t change. The true self doesn’t change. The only real change is how we choose to react. I’m making choices that work. I’m making choices that fail. Along the way, I’m learning and laughing and crying and being, and I’m so grateful for all of it. #gettingthroughit #grief #gratitude #grateful #essayist #creativenonfiction #longislandwriter #longislandyoga #longisland #longislandparks #hempsteadlakestatepark #fitspo #piyo #piyobod #alwayslookup #lifecoach #lifecoaching #lifecoachingtips #reikipractitioner #yogalife #Buddhistlife

A post shared by Christina 🖋📚🧘‍♀️🚀♍️©️ (@christinamrau) on Jul 10, 2020 at 7:53am PDT