I have a dear friend who loves to mail cards and letters. I know this is a rare, connectional art, which makes it feel especially meaningful when her words arrive in my mailbox. Recently, she sent me a beautiful card and, referencing the winter season, she closed with this line:
“Remember to enjoy your hibernation.”
At first, though, I had to look twice. I thought the lowercase h was an uppercase L.
“Remember to enjoy your Libernation.”
That’s not a word, of course. But I smiled. It immediately made me think of the work of Tricia Hersey – poet, performance artist, and Nap Bishop. For years, she has written about how liberating rest can be. Our hibernating moments can free us by caring for our bodies, re-centering us, and making space for imagination and dreaming.
At the heart of Hersey’s work is the recognition that this is especially true for people who have experienced oppression, and for those whose ancestors have endured violence, forced labor, and exploitation. She wrote the book Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, which I highly recommend, and she continues to explore these themes through The Nap Ministry and her work online.
These days, it’s right to think carefully about the actions we must discern and take. And we can invite our restful moments to shape us and this moment, too.
So I’m holding onto that misread blessing.
“Remember to enjoy your Libernation.”
Smuggling Grace 