You define meaning for the holidays with these videos, Kimberly. Though I don't have a chronic disease, I find the holidays so difficult and share many of the views from your documentary subjects. Quite simply, deeply insightful.
Thank you love. I like how Rafael shared it in an above comment: "Sometimes I think that the period from Black Friday to New Years Day is a yoke that we humans have placed upon our own shoulders, and each of us feels that weight to a greater or lesser extent..." Dave and I were saying last night we feel so much more intimacy and resonance with the solstice than any of the other holidays surrounding. Going into hibernation, allowing the darkness, cocooning with nature—now this feels like something my body, mind and spirit can rally behind.
thank you for the reminder. It shouldn't take illness to remember the difference between "holidaze" and holy days, or some serious life-crash before we find our boundaries and claim our 'true identity'...
to listen to these honest voices and see these vulnerable faces is a precious gift.
Kimberly, I am just left nearly speechless by the video at the end of this post. And the discovery that there were more videos featuring these wonderful, strong, beautiful people was just pure gold for me. (Rafy is just brimming with cliches this morning!) Are you the person full of charity and awareness of the suffering and strength all around us that brought all these beautiful souls together and edited this gift of gifts for your followers and subscribers? Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to watch the other videos in this series. Sometimes I think that the period from Black Friday to New Years Day is a yoke that we humans have placed upon our own shoulders, and each of us feels that weight to a greater or lesser extent, based upon the state of our health. Have a great season, Kimberly, according to whatever amount of weight you choose to bear!
Oh Rafael, your words mean so much to me. Thank you for being present with these voices and offering all your warmth and good clichés. ;) Yes, there's more. Lots more! It all began as a single documentary project in 2019 (to help myself understand how to live with my own incurable condition) but because of the pandemic, I quickly adapted and turned it into a 2 year long doc-series project where they filmed themselves every month in response to a prompt I offered. To catch up on the origins of this project, you might want to watch the original "trailer." And then to view all the episodes in sequence, I recommend visiting The Disorder Channel (if you have a Roku) or following the link below where you see them all, starting with episode 1: Living Unfixed at the bottom of the page.
Hi, Linda. Thank you for clicking on the little heart. I posted a similar, but longer, comment somewhere else on Substack and nobody clicked or commented about it, so I figured that a lot of people had me pegged as an amalgamation of Scrooge, the Grinch, H****r and Chairman Mao. I mean no offense by saying that the holidays are like a weight on the shoulders for many people. My wife and I checked out of exchanging gifts decades ago. Our family situation made it fairly simple to do. We continued to decorate our living room for quite a while after, but chronic health problems have left us unwilling and unable to do much decorating. I’m following you on Substack and I hope to check out some of your posts soon. I scanned your home page (?—computer-illiterate old guy here) and the titles of your posts are intriguing. Don’t feel obligated to follow or subscribe in return. I’m not using Substack for income or some kind of ego flex. Have a great season and happy, prosperous New Year!
A truly moving video Kimberly. I appreciate the frank honesty of everyone in the video and the the way it points to, what sometimes feels like, the added stress the holidays can bring.
I was actually just today, trying to convey my own feelings about how stressful I find the holidays to my partner, and this piece just captured that perfectly.
Thank you for all you do with Unfixed. It’s a wonderful thing.
Embrace that peace (and darkness). We've just gotten to Perth, to be with part of Jo's family. It's sunshine and views of the endless Indian Ocean here and I need to try and lean into the word "relaxation", which I haven't properly sensed for what feels like a long time. I'm hoping I will also find some inspiration to write and reform a sense of regularity on Substack, because I feel entirely the opposite word of that of late unfortunately.
What an amazing compilation of powerful voices. I enjoy hearing from each of these dear ones, and how they are making meaning in their lives.
I’m so glad you’ve are now part of my world Kimberly. Every connection is a blessing, your insights, your interviews, your kind reflections, all of it matters to me.
I enjoy taking this hibernation season to reflect on the people I care about, and express gratitude for each one.
I’m grateful for getting to know you, and all you do.
Awwww, you just sent warm shivers all over me. Thank you Teyani. What a generous reflection and beautiful practice for this hibernation season. I think I might explode if I spend any amount of time thinking about all the gorgeous humans I've found here on Substack, you included. But I'll try. ;)
Dearest Kimberly - I will tell you as secret - whenever I feel low and dispirited I return to any one of these videos you have given us.
I am endlessly amazed and inspired by the strength of will these beautiful 'unfixed' people are capable of. I feel humbled and more than a little in love with each of one them and the wisdoms they have learnt and speak of without remorse.
Thank you so much for sharing each and every one - I hope there will be more, I hope each of these gorgeous souls, despite their hardships, find as much magic in their days as I do on most of mine. I send love to you and them all xx
Thank you for sharing your secret with me. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. (And confirms what I've already known to be true about your vastly deep and beautiful soul.) Some friends, even inner circle, have shared with me that "I can't watch these videos, they make me too sad." And I've been deeply disturbed and perplexed by this statement because I feel quite the opposite! I have even spent time wondering if something might be wrong with me, why I draw so much strength and joy from their voices. Being witness to humans who can't avoid, green-drink, pill-pop or asana away their pain, and using their experience to reveal something eternally whole within their brokenness, is beyond uplifting. Thank you for being here with us. This series in total has 24 (I think, I keep losing count) episodes in total, and we wrapped the project a few years back. Maybe I'll make a post that points everyone to the entire series. But in 2025 I will be sharing a new series with an entirely different cast, more humans to learn from, more to love. ;)
I feel that opposition more deeply than I can say Kimberly, when my 'unfixed' young students make even the tiniest of progresses and being witness to their joy and the huge efforts they make to get there is 'beyond uplifting'. It will always be and it is far from being wrong. I will look forward to the next series with as much pleasure as I'm sure you felt while making it! xx
The honesty and vulnerability of these vignettes are such a gift. Happy holidays to all on their on their own unique terms. :)
You define meaning for the holidays with these videos, Kimberly. Though I don't have a chronic disease, I find the holidays so difficult and share many of the views from your documentary subjects. Quite simply, deeply insightful.
Thank you love. I like how Rafael shared it in an above comment: "Sometimes I think that the period from Black Friday to New Years Day is a yoke that we humans have placed upon our own shoulders, and each of us feels that weight to a greater or lesser extent..." Dave and I were saying last night we feel so much more intimacy and resonance with the solstice than any of the other holidays surrounding. Going into hibernation, allowing the darkness, cocooning with nature—now this feels like something my body, mind and spirit can rally behind.
I so agree.
thank you for the reminder. It shouldn't take illness to remember the difference between "holidaze" and holy days, or some serious life-crash before we find our boundaries and claim our 'true identity'...
to listen to these honest voices and see these vulnerable faces is a precious gift.
YOU ARE A PRECIOUS GIFT dear friend. I value your attentive, reflective, wildly assimilating mind and heart every time you share over here.
To my wife and myself it’s the Gift of Gifts this season. An object lesson for bending but not breaking.
I have seen videos with these guys because of this space, Kimberly and I have fallen in love with them. They certainly put things into perspective.
Thank you for being here Linda. I feel your receptive strength every time you comment on their episodes. A little perspective can go a long way. ;)
So beautiful, what a gift, Kimberly. Got a little teary. I love their humor and vulnerability. I love them all! ❤️
Aren't they all wonderful? Each and every one of them. I get teary every.single.time. xo
I love them all too. They are able to bend but not break.
Yes! And their humor ~ ❤️
Totally. They’re facing incredible obstacles and none of them seem to be feeling sorry for themselves.
“Don’t ask me about Thanksgiving.” 😂
I checked out the titles of your posts and they are interesting. Following you back.
You will not be disappointed Rafael! I LOVE Julie, her talent, her intelligence, her spirit.
Happy holidays to you and yours. 💚
Kimberly, I am just left nearly speechless by the video at the end of this post. And the discovery that there were more videos featuring these wonderful, strong, beautiful people was just pure gold for me. (Rafy is just brimming with cliches this morning!) Are you the person full of charity and awareness of the suffering and strength all around us that brought all these beautiful souls together and edited this gift of gifts for your followers and subscribers? Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to watch the other videos in this series. Sometimes I think that the period from Black Friday to New Years Day is a yoke that we humans have placed upon our own shoulders, and each of us feels that weight to a greater or lesser extent, based upon the state of our health. Have a great season, Kimberly, according to whatever amount of weight you choose to bear!
Oh Rafael, your words mean so much to me. Thank you for being present with these voices and offering all your warmth and good clichés. ;) Yes, there's more. Lots more! It all began as a single documentary project in 2019 (to help myself understand how to live with my own incurable condition) but because of the pandemic, I quickly adapted and turned it into a 2 year long doc-series project where they filmed themselves every month in response to a prompt I offered. To catch up on the origins of this project, you might want to watch the original "trailer." And then to view all the episodes in sequence, I recommend visiting The Disorder Channel (if you have a Roku) or following the link below where you see them all, starting with episode 1: Living Unfixed at the bottom of the page.
Trailer: https://open.substack.com/pub/unfixed/p/the-birth-of-unfixed?r=3lmmp&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Entire series: https://unfixedmedia.com/docuseries
Hi, Linda. Thank you for clicking on the little heart. I posted a similar, but longer, comment somewhere else on Substack and nobody clicked or commented about it, so I figured that a lot of people had me pegged as an amalgamation of Scrooge, the Grinch, H****r and Chairman Mao. I mean no offense by saying that the holidays are like a weight on the shoulders for many people. My wife and I checked out of exchanging gifts decades ago. Our family situation made it fairly simple to do. We continued to decorate our living room for quite a while after, but chronic health problems have left us unwilling and unable to do much decorating. I’m following you on Substack and I hope to check out some of your posts soon. I scanned your home page (?—computer-illiterate old guy here) and the titles of your posts are intriguing. Don’t feel obligated to follow or subscribe in return. I’m not using Substack for income or some kind of ego flex. Have a great season and happy, prosperous New Year!
A truly moving video Kimberly. I appreciate the frank honesty of everyone in the video and the the way it points to, what sometimes feels like, the added stress the holidays can bring.
I was actually just today, trying to convey my own feelings about how stressful I find the holidays to my partner, and this piece just captured that perfectly.
Thank you for all you do with Unfixed. It’s a wonderful thing.
Beautiful.
Thank you for the message and wishes, Kimberly. I'm always so moved by these videos. Beautiful, powerful.
Wishing you and everyone a peaceful holidays full of love and support.
Thank you friend. To you and yours as well. Just cozying down now after a long day in the city and leaning, with exhale, into the peace and darkness.
Embrace that peace (and darkness). We've just gotten to Perth, to be with part of Jo's family. It's sunshine and views of the endless Indian Ocean here and I need to try and lean into the word "relaxation", which I haven't properly sensed for what feels like a long time. I'm hoping I will also find some inspiration to write and reform a sense of regularity on Substack, because I feel entirely the opposite word of that of late unfortunately.
God that sounds gorgeous (and surreal) as I sit up here in the northern hemisphere.
You of all people deserve relaxation and then some. May the vacancy empty, then rest, then refuel with all kinds of wonder and inspiration.:)
Thanks Kimberly. I will send some warmth and rays and blue your way.
If I can find the time today, I will try and post about it. :)
Brave , honest and wonderful, tears…me too.
The best kind!
What an amazing compilation of powerful voices. I enjoy hearing from each of these dear ones, and how they are making meaning in their lives.
I’m so glad you’ve are now part of my world Kimberly. Every connection is a blessing, your insights, your interviews, your kind reflections, all of it matters to me.
I enjoy taking this hibernation season to reflect on the people I care about, and express gratitude for each one.
I’m grateful for getting to know you, and all you do.
Awwww, you just sent warm shivers all over me. Thank you Teyani. What a generous reflection and beautiful practice for this hibernation season. I think I might explode if I spend any amount of time thinking about all the gorgeous humans I've found here on Substack, you included. But I'll try. ;)
Heart expansion is amazing. There shall be zero exploding tho… 🤭. Just bigger and bigger, all encompassing hearts.
Dearest Kimberly - I will tell you as secret - whenever I feel low and dispirited I return to any one of these videos you have given us.
I am endlessly amazed and inspired by the strength of will these beautiful 'unfixed' people are capable of. I feel humbled and more than a little in love with each of one them and the wisdoms they have learnt and speak of without remorse.
Thank you so much for sharing each and every one - I hope there will be more, I hope each of these gorgeous souls, despite their hardships, find as much magic in their days as I do on most of mine. I send love to you and them all xx
Thank you for sharing your secret with me. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. (And confirms what I've already known to be true about your vastly deep and beautiful soul.) Some friends, even inner circle, have shared with me that "I can't watch these videos, they make me too sad." And I've been deeply disturbed and perplexed by this statement because I feel quite the opposite! I have even spent time wondering if something might be wrong with me, why I draw so much strength and joy from their voices. Being witness to humans who can't avoid, green-drink, pill-pop or asana away their pain, and using their experience to reveal something eternally whole within their brokenness, is beyond uplifting. Thank you for being here with us. This series in total has 24 (I think, I keep losing count) episodes in total, and we wrapped the project a few years back. Maybe I'll make a post that points everyone to the entire series. But in 2025 I will be sharing a new series with an entirely different cast, more humans to learn from, more to love. ;)
I feel that opposition more deeply than I can say Kimberly, when my 'unfixed' young students make even the tiniest of progresses and being witness to their joy and the huge efforts they make to get there is 'beyond uplifting'. It will always be and it is far from being wrong. I will look forward to the next series with as much pleasure as I'm sure you felt while making it! xx
A Christmas Prayer for the unfixed:
Lord,
LEAD me where You would have me go;
SHOW me what You would have me see;
HELP me to experience what You'd have me feel,
So You might FIX that which I cannot heal!
Merry Christmas!