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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  • Fear, Welcome

    Fear, Welcome

    Fears, welcome you are safe here I understand you I even thank you for doing your very best to protect I will be here to listen to you Just listen It’s ok to be afraid it doesn’t mean you can’t It just means You’re human Continue reading

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  • Unexpected Belonging

    It’s hard to leave a place that has so changed you To say goodbye to something Like transformation Those left behind Will move on And I suppose I will too But right now It feels heavy I found belonging in this Odd little Billings Though I fought Loneliness And frustrations The entire year here Somehow… Continue reading

  • Little Shell

    I want to acknowledge that those who belong in the Little Shell nation call themselves Annishinabe or TodayA Little Shell manTold meHe listens to the landThe animalsThe skyThe windThe watersTo speak to himAn eagle flies byAnd he listensWhat story is she tellingWhat message is she sending himThisAwakens a part of meThat felt asleepSuddenlyMy world is… Continue reading

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  • Montana Taught me

    Montana taught me not just to admire the birds and their songs but know them each by their names and colors A duck no longer just a duck but the miraculous Mergansers and Mallards a bird not just a bird but Flickers and Waxwings Montana taught me awe to watch the small acts of nature… Continue reading

  • In the End

    In the ending I wonder to myself did it matter? Did I matter? And a small part or me says, Remember when you sat beside the lonely you held a space to listen Remember the high fives the hugs you gave the books you read Remember how many times you heard their stories and questions… Continue reading

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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