Discover joy in the hard places

Welcome to the blog of JP Mills where you will find encouragement and belonging through reflective journaling and poetry.

Joyful Ruins

Discovering joy in the hard places

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  • I am my Family

    I am my mother when I stop a stranger and tell them they are beautiful and when I feel tenderness towards the stories of others I am my father when I encourage others to follow their dreams or buy a friend a special gift I am my brother when I am driven and creative when… Continue reading

  • Spiderwebs

    Spiderwebs

    I stop to look at spiderwebs these glorious creations ignored often but worked hard upon and beautiful detailed We admire artwork we covet homes Why not stop and admire these homes which are works of art and tell the spider good job Continue reading

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  • This Body

    This Body

    I look at my body and frown Too fat Too many spots Too achy And I realize I am speaking to her the words I’ve always feared to hear Too much or Too little Why do I treat her with such little grace? It’s not her fault that she responds to our world to food… Continue reading

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  • Reconstruction

    I don’t hear your voice telling me I should. I don’t hear your voice at all. But I think I see you more in spirit around me than I did before. Like Mother Nature, always there, never gone, so I need not obsess over thoughts of her, but appreciate her as often as I can,… Continue reading

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  • Losing my Religion

    I once thought of You every second of every day A recipe of adoration fear and codependency somehow supporting me keeping me alive while also stifling my identity You consumed me once But now I hardly think of You except in fleeting moments Sometimes I wonder if You are the air I breathe or the… Continue reading

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About Me

An obsessive journaler who loves meeting others along their journey and giving them a hand to hold through pieces of writing. I write about the heartbreaks of life and the joys, the ups and downs, and I often learn my greatest lessons and miracles from nature.

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