18 Comments
User's avatar
Forrest Beway's avatar

a wonderful, wise, precious chant to wholeness and divine love through the door of shame... Reading you tastes like bliss ✨ thank you so much Nida 🙏🙏🙏

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Oh my God!🥰 Thank you, Forrest.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 I am speechless.

Expand full comment
Sabah ✨💛's avatar

Once again, just wow.

Shame is probably the most complicated of human emotions yet this piece explores and explains it so beautifully. If shame is the door to Divine love, then shame serves a wonderful purpose. You helped me to see that and also to see shame in all its many lights, and for that I thank you. And I thank you for sharing what is most definitely one of your GIFTS with us - it truly is such a blessing to read your words.

As always, going to reread this because wow wow wow. 💛💛💛

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Thank you so much, my love!🥰 You know, I wasn’t really feeling this essay as much as some of my others, but I knew I had to get it out of my system (and delete it from my Notes app!). Which just goes to show how much shame I create around writing that feels less than perfect to me. All of you inspire me, with your regularity and consistency to speaking your truths. It makes me feel like, if I have something to say, perfection can be found in saying it now and with conviction.

Expand full comment
Emily Webster's avatar

Wonderful necessary reflection. Such a great read

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Thank you, Emily!🥰 I’m so glad you found something of value here.

Expand full comment
Alejandro Martín Gómez's avatar

So much wisdom in Rumi, thanks for sharing Nida! Beautifully said. Keep up the great writing :)

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Thank you so much, Alejandro!☺️ Glad to have you here and grateful you took the time to read my work.🙏🏼

Expand full comment
Alejandro Martín Gómez's avatar

No worries, Nida. Glad to be on-board too!

Expand full comment
Bing Tashkent's avatar

I was reading Stig Dagerman the last few days and oddly enough, coincidental timing, I noted that shame in his work is heaviest when it becomes inescapable—an internalized self-judgment that characters can't outrun. It’s this pervasive, psychological weight of shame that traps them in cycles of self-doubt, existential dread, and, in some cases, self-destruction.

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

How interesting! I just responded to this further on your restack. Thanks for that, and for taking the time to read and respond so thoughtfully.❤️

Expand full comment
Sadia Kalam's avatar

You’ve tackled an impossibly hard subject — the intersection of love and shame. Oh my this essay should be reread a few times… I agree that we are all one essence on a metaphysical level but loving the Other is life’s spiritual practice. You said it beautifully Nida. Thank you

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

I’m so glad you enjoyed the essay and found it valuable. I like how you described us as “one essence on a metaphysical level but loving the other is life’s spiritual practice.” So true and so well said! I think love does not fully grow into Love until we embrace the shame within our self, and simultaneously, in others.

Expand full comment
Emilie's avatar

In my eyes, shame is the heaviest emotion while love is the lightest.

You write that vulnerability is the meeting point of love and shame; I think that's very insightful and it will keep me reflecting on it for while.

Thank you for providing a beautiful article :)

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Thank you so much for reading and reflecting, Emilie! I’m honored by your presence. I think we are forced to carry these two dichotomies within us at all times - the light and the heavy - and maintaining any semblance of balance can be exhausting, especially if we’re trying to disown one feeling while embracing the other. We must embrace them both, learn to carry them both as two halves of a whole, rather than two distinct fragments. Would love to hear more about your reflections.

Expand full comment
Dr. Mary Harrell's avatar

I love your writing Nida. The way you understand shame and wounding is healing. You are a light in the world. I especially appreciate your ability to bring together meaningful realities like wounding and what's happening in the world- in Palestine. The wound of Palestine is our collective wound.

Expand full comment
Nida Elley's avatar

Indeed! Palestine is our collective wound and shame. But the only way through is to give our attention to that shame, understand it, love it, integrate it. Instead, many of us look away from this shame or, worse, try to surgically remove it. Thank you for your presence here, your kindness, and understanding.

Expand full comment
Dr. Mary Harrell's avatar

You and I are doing the same work on behalf of world soul. It takes a multitude of voices to counter our fixed societal consciousness. We can do this together.

Expand full comment