{"id":6228,"date":"2025-07-29T13:10:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/29\/write-of-passage-throw-out-the-broken-pieces\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T13:10:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T13:10:00","slug":"write-of-passage-throw-out-the-broken-pieces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/2025\/07\/29\/write-of-passage-throw-out-the-broken-pieces\/","title":{"rendered":"Write of Passage: Throw Out the Broken Pieces"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-6228-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/169539650\/4d9af6fd0581184f0bcba7eeb5d97af8.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/169539650\/4d9af6fd0581184f0bcba7eeb5d97af8.mp3\">https:\/\/api.substack.com\/feed\/podcast\/169539650\/4d9af6fd0581184f0bcba7eeb5d97af8.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p>I don\u2019t know about you, but I have a drawer of knickknacks and half-finished projects\u2014remnants of ideas and good intentions.<\/p><div id=\"vanes-1728105731\" class=\"vanes-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 2px;margin-right: 2px;margin-bottom: 2px;margin-left: 2px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\" aria-label=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?fit=1706%2C2560&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Fire Sword &amp; Sea\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1706&ssl=1 1706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C300&ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=683%2C1024&ssl=1 683w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1152&ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C1536&ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?resize=1365%2C2048&ssl=1 1365w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/FireSwordSea_HC-scaled.jpg?w=1280&ssl=1 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"569\" height=\"853\"   \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p>In my bathroom vanity, tucked behind a beautiful brass knob, there\u2019s a special drawer. At first glance, it might seem like a treasure trove.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>Once, maybe it was. But now? It\u2019s a collection of brokenness. Broken glass. Broken jewelry. Missing sequins. And, perhaps, broken dreams.<\/p>\n<p>Each piece ended up in this drawer because, at some point, I told myself I would fix it. That I would find the time to reattach that clasp, that I\u2019d discover the match to that one clip-on earring I adore, or maybe I\u2019d give a piece new life because this pendant is so sentimental.<\/p>\n<p>But I haven\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>And now the drawer is full.<\/p>\n<p>Not with treasure, but with intentions\u2014intentions that have long expired.<\/p>\n<p>To be very honest, some of these items are truly beyond repair.<\/p>\n<p>The joint on a bracelet has snapped off completely. The solder that once held it together disintegrated. And yet I kept it. Because maybe\u2014just maybe\u2014I\u2019ll fix it one day. That\u2019s the tease or lie, I tell myself.<\/p>\n<p>And to date, I fixed maybe two or three things. I should be honest with myself when I\u2019m not ready to let go.<\/p>\n<p>That drawer is not a shrine of hope. It\u2019s a graveyard of the dream deferred. It\u2019s filled with delays and avoidance. As an author it\u2019s a drawer of nice stories that I\u2019m afraid to finish.<\/p>\n<p>I think a lot of us are carrying real and metaphorical drawers like this through our lives.<\/p>\n<p>We hold onto broken relationships, deflated dreams, abandoned goals. We carry them from space to space, boxing them up when we move, adding more to this draw year after year, when our plans change and haven\u2019t the guts or desire to say goodbye out loud.<\/p>\n<p>Truthly, I need to stop deluding myself. I\u2019m not going to fix everything in this drawer.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a difference between hope and baggage and that is a line called passion.<\/p>\n<p>If you look closely at your time, your money, your energy they go to what you are passionate about.<\/p>\n<p>They aligned with what you actually want?<\/p>\n<p>If you feel there\u2019s a disconnect between your vision and your investments, fix it. Otherwise That gap, that distance between what we want and what believe we want will fester into brokenness.<\/p>\n<p>I wear clip-on earrings. Napier, Monet, Anne Klein are some favorites. And when I really like them, I will sometimes by duplicates of the same style. It sort of insurance, telling myself I have a backup in case I lose one. But that\u2019s really just another excuse to keep piling excess into the drawer. The results are more broken pieces. More delays.<\/p>\n<p>We all have excuses. And some of them are pretty good. As an author I can write some great excuses on why I\u2019m filling up this space.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, I need to accept that I\u2019m weigh myself down. And whether it\u2019s a literal drawer or an emotional one, we only have so much room.<\/p>\n<p>So here\u2019s my challenge to you\u2014and to myself:<\/p>\n<p>Go through your drawer. Literally and metaphorically. Sort through what\u2019s there. Ask:<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Is this worth fixing?<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Do I want to invest the time to fix it?<\/p>\n<p>\u2022 Is this taking up space where something whole and life-giving could live?<\/p>\n<p>If you haven\u2019t kept your word and fixed it in six months, let it go. Give it away, recycle it, or be brave and throw it out.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the truth that I have to accept. That draw of broken pieces is a mirror. And I don\u2019t like what I see when I dig inside.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d rather the drawer be filled intention and joy. I\u2019d rather it hold onto laughter, and good memories, and wholeness. I don\u2019t want to leave behind a bunch of hot mess of pieces that no one understands or values when I had the power to clear it out and make room for better things.<\/p>\n<p>Taking action:<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how we heal.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how we move forward.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how we create space for joy and new dreams.<\/p>\n<p>Give yourself grace.<\/p>\n<p>Give yourself freedom.<\/p>\n<p>Throw out the broken pieces.<\/p>\n<p>You deserve better. I\u2019m rooting for us.<\/p>\n<p>Books to get us through these moments:<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rep.club\/products\/failures-of-forgiveness?_pos=1&amp;_sid=afd0cfd4c&amp;_ss=r\">Failures of\u202fForgiveness: What We Get Wrong and How to Do Better <\/a> by Myisha\u202fCherry. It challenges our pressures to fix, offering a powerful reminder that sometimes, true healing begins by choosing not to repair what was never whole to begin with.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rep.club\/products\/on-repentance-and-repair?_pos=10&amp;_sid=633631617&amp;_ss=r\">On Repentance and Repair by<\/a> Danya\u202fRuttenberg reframes the impulse to \u201cfix\u201d broken things\u2014not through nostalgia or delay, but by naming harm, doing the work of transformation and restitution.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rep.club\/products\/village-weavers?_pos=23&amp;_sid=633631617&amp;_ss=r\">Village Weavers by Myriam\u202fJ.\u202fA.\u202fChancy<\/a> illuminates how friendships, histories, and generational wounds can fracture and later reveal pathways to reconnection. Chancy reminds us that sometimes we must face the secrets we\u2019ve kept tucked away, choosing what we rebuild and what we release.<\/p>\n<p>This time I\u2019m going to recommend an album: <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rep.club\/products\/miseducation-of-lauryn-hill?_pos=5&amp;_sid=633631617&amp;_ss=r\">The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill <\/a>is a testament to transforming personal brokenness, relational rupture, and societal pressures into a narrative of healing and self-reclamation.<\/p>\n<p>This week, I&#8217;m highlighting <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/rep.club\/\">Reparations Club Bookstore<\/a> through their website and <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/bookshop.org\/shop\/repclub\">Bookshop.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The cover for <a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.com\/fireswordandsea.htm\">Fire Sword and Sea <\/a>is here\u2014and I love it! Three souls looking in different directions having each other\u2019s back perfectly captures the spirit of these women pirates-bold brave and free of the 1600s.<\/p>\n<p><em>Fire Sword and Sea<\/em> &#8211; This sweeping saga, releasing January 13, 2026, follows fearless women who defied the world order and seized power on the high seas.<\/p>\n<p>Preorders are now live! Visit my website for links to retailers big and small. Help spread the word. Share the adventure!<\/p>\n<p>Show notes include a list of the books and album mentioned in this broadcast.<\/p>\n<p>You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, VanessaRiley.com under the podcast link in the About tab.<\/p>\n<p>Enjoying the vibe? Go ahead and like this episode and subscribe to<\/p>\n<p>Write of Passage so you never miss a moment.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you\u2019ll come again.<\/p>\n<p>This is a public episode. If you&#8217;d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=CTA_2\">vanessariley.substack.com\/subscribe<\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"vanes-1814993161\" class=\"vanes-after-content vanes-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 3px;margin-right: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;margin-left: 3px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?fit=1080%2C1350&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Listen to the Write of Passage Weekly Podcast\"  srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?w=1080&ssl=1 1080w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=240%2C300&ssl=1 240w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=819%2C1024&ssl=1 819w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vanessariley.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/SubstackAd.png?resize=768%2C960&ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" width=\"540\" height=\"675\"   \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I don\u2019t know about you, but I have a drawer of knickknacks and half-finished projects\u2014remnants of ideas and good intentions. In my bathroom vanity, tucked behind a beautiful brass knob, there\u2019s a special drawer. At first glance, it might seem like a treasure trove. Once, maybe it was. But now? It\u2019s a collection of brokenness. 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