"so, This Thing That Happened In 2019-"

Sevika, Vi and Ekko, who never saw eye to eye, bonding after Jinx's death over the fact that Sevika was there for her when neither of them were.

Sevika, telling them about the softer side of the girl with the manic eyes.

The three of them getting together, to try and piece together a full picture of Powder and Jinx. Vi, who knew who she started as. Sevika, who knew who she became. And Ekko, who knew who she could have been.

ok so hear me out

I agree! Actually, the whole show kind of disproves Kant's attempt to base ethics on universal laws and reasonable choices. What actually helps Eleanor and the others become better people is:

1/ The recognition that being kind to others feels good for us as well. That we do not have to lose something by being kind, at the opposite we gain. Being kind makes us feel good, nourishes our soul, builds trust in others, and better relationships, and good relationships make us happy. I believe recognizing the connection between being kind and our own well-being is the first step.

2/ Facing the reasons why we are unkind, AKA our trauma, so therapy and personal growth basically. At the end of the show, it is what all people who die have to do to get to The Good Place. Healing, growth, and learning that being kind rules.

Not to ramble about the good place but do you ever think about that bit in season 1 where Chidi sarcastically says "do I also need to tell you not to throw sand" and Eleanor responds with "throwing sand is an excellent way to put out a vodka fire" and how that sums up Chidi's character arc so well as well as challenging moral positions like Kant's that claim that there is one exact solution to any given moment because yes, we would all immediately consider throwing sand to be bad, but sometimes it is Genuinely useful and good to throw sand and to apply the ideology of "throwing sand is bad" to Every situation will be to die in a vodka fire.

Whale Shark Gliding Through Bioluminiscent Algae _ Mike Nulty

very fucked up that you can try insanely hard your whole life to make all the right choices and yet you can’t escape bad outcomes. like what the flip

Southern resident orcas, also known as the southern resident killer whales (SRKW), are an exclusively fish-eating ecotype of orcas that live in and around the Salish Sea. They differ genetically from transient orcas as well as having different dialects and diets. © Rachel Haight - Orca Network

Solving conflict, not like a compromise or a "let's forget about this and move on", but really understanding why the other said or did what they said or did, and them understanding you, and both of you feeling closer and trusting the other more afterwards is one fucking amazing human experience.

I have a friend with whom I had a very sudden and painful conflict and she went no contact for 4 years, then she came back and asked to talk it out, and now it has been 10 years and how we solved this conflict got us so much closer.

But sometimes, there are some conflicts that will never get solved, some apologies we'll never get to make. Somewhere, someone is telling a story about what a dick you were, to a new friend, over a drink.

And I learned that it is ok. Conflict solving requires both parties being willing to try, the right timing, and sometimes some special communication and empathy skills. It cannot always work.

But when it does, and I get to understand myself and someone I love so much better thanks to it, it makes me so happy. I also trust people more after having even a minor conflict with them and see how we both handle it.

I'm grateful for all the conflicts that made me grow and feel loved and fought for afterward.

leatherman iron bull doodle from awhile ago...............

My meditation app told me something the other day that I want to share: "The bright side is a spectrum."

"Look on the bright side" has become a short-hand for "just remember how good you have it compared to others, ignore your pain and move on". It is the motto of toxic positivity, which is a shame because looking on the bright side is still a useful tool. If you acknowledge that the bright side is a spectrum.

Sometimes it can be that everything is going your way and you feel wonderful about yourself. Sometimes it's just that you got out of bed today. Depending on the shade of darkness surrounding those moments, both can be the bright side. Both can hold equal weight against the dark.

So when you look for a bright side and can only find a small candle, you aren't being a pessimist. You've found one end of the spectrum, one that means as much as the beacon.