Jana

cool people, vol 1

a series about cool individuals

Jana at Cochran Mills Park

The first time I really met Jana was when she laughed at an inappropriate time. I couldn't tell you why it was socially inappropriate, just that she and I were the only ones laughing at something someone (likely one of our teachers) just said in a large group (20 or so) of women. That happened a lot. Her joyful nature and honest laughter helped me to find more humor in the moments I was unsure or uncomfortable with. Which made me feel brave and I needed that more than ever.

She continued to show bravery, kindness and compassion throughout YTT and I admired her greatly for the moments she spoke up for herself and others. I'll never forget the few moments she defended me when I was vulnerable as well, which she probably has no recollection of or idea of how strong of an impact she made on me.

We never really know the impact we have on others.

Now, four years later, I asked her to meet me at any place of great significance to her so we could chat about joy and what makes her tick. We talked about her childhood in New Jersey - she described her most profound memory of joy as one of her and her sisters just "existing and being" outside with one another. All her memories of feeling joyful and safe were around the outdoors - something she says she now completely understands but did not realize then. It seems her childhood lacked a serious amount of joy. What seems like a lifetime or two away, she recalled moments from her upbringing in a religiously oppressive and abusive home.

As a Jehovah's Witness, Jana grew up in a dogmatic home and fell in line with the doctrines. In her teen years she saw what it meant to be cast out and excluded, she had questions about the religion, she was struck with something and knew she had to leave. A terrifying and uneasy choice was made, knowing that if ever she turned back she'd be shunned by everyone she knew. Through leaving the community, she found a true love of life and living. She experienced things with full curiosity and continued to seek spiritual answers and closeness.

It's frankly astounding to me when people are brave enough to leave their strict culture behind — it takes a certain kind of courage that many, if not most, people will never be asked for.

One of my favorite take aways from our talk was her mentioning the importance of seeing unfiltered (without glasses, windows, or screens) dusk and dawn light and how this can positively impact your circadian sleep cycle. I took her advice and have been stepping outside at these times to experience the light without glasses or contacts and have personally felt my sleep cycle acclimating since we saw each other a month or so ago.  There’s also plenty of science to back this up, light just might be the most powerful thing in the world.

Jana says she's never felt more spiritually connected than she is now — through meditation and reiki she has found a home within herself. We chatted for a while about community, spiritual and physical health, God, ghosts, and our outlandish beliefs. I'm amazed by her bravery, her kindness and her desire to understand life through a loving lens.