Face in the Mirror



If I could give you one key,
and one key only to more abundant life,
I would give you a sense of your own worth,
an unshakable sense of your own dignity
as one grounded in the source of the cosmic dance, as one who plays a unique part
in the unfolding of the story of the world...

- Greta Crosby

In my mid-twenties, I was standing in front of the bathroom sink washing my hands when I happened to glance at myself in the mirror.  I was clearly startled at the realization I did not know this person staring back at me.

Appraising myself, I tried to create a sense of who I was:  daughter to two parents, sister to one sibling, college graduate, wife in a marriage, mother of two little boys, and director of a preschool program.  These were all adjectives describing parts that stemmed from the center, but not who I was in the very inner center.

I felt a very haunting feeling spread into my heart.  The loneliness of not knowing deeply who I was spread a cold chill throughout my body.  "I don't have time for this," I remember saying.  I turned my face away from the mirror not wanting to face my reflection any longer.

This was one of many instances over the years where the veil parted and I glimpsed an inner depth to life, more than what floats on the surface.  Perhaps it was my soul calling out for me to return to the knowing of who I was meant to be.

For many of us, it is not until we release our grip on all of our gathered identities from family, career, and community that we follow the path back into the depth of our soul.  It is similar to an oxymoron in that we discover this part of our self deep within while learning that we are a part of the great whole. 

If you have personally not discovered your first steps to the great cosmic dance, I encourage you seek and find "the unique part you are playing in the great unfolding of the story of the world."