The Thread

 

The Way It Is

There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.

~ William Stafford ~

(The Way It Is)

The image of life being a tapestry with each of us being a different colored thread, has always captivated me.  Thinking that others with their differing colors have been woven through my life, enhances this held image.

I do believe my life has been created with colored thread weaving through it.  Some threads have faded and some have snagged, while others remain vibrantly beautiful.  Some have stretched through the passing of time, and yet others have only contributed a small accent of color.

My own thread sometimes has been like a thick rope pulling me through stubbornness and strife.  Clear like a fishing line, my thread has often been invisible but weighted to ground me.  During motherhood, my thread was vibrant and strong.  When using gifts and talents, my thread was richly creating designs life long.  In times of sadness, the thread was a life line casting a dark hue, holding me where I belonged.

Do we ever really know where we are going and what lies just beyond the bend?  Do we ever really notice the patterns as they unfold in our head?  Does anyone ever really understand that we are simply led by the thread?



Holding Our Own Hand ...

I finally understand that when

Tess fingers her scar, it's not

because she's scared, but because

she wants to remind herself that

she has what it takes to survive.

NO GOOD DEEDS

Laura Lippman

Thriving is much better than barely surviving, just as laughter is more pleasant than tears; but all are important ingredients in the making of a life.  While living, we are faced with many polarities that are in need of becoming balanced. 

Challenges present themselves to us, not to defeat us, but rather to give us an opportunity to stretch and grow.  Through the process of transition, we are made aware of how resilient we can really be.  As finances, friendships, material securities or health issues come into question, we have the choice to embolden our spiritual belief systems, gather resources, and creatively embrace all of the positive that just may erupt out of the change.  Visualize and hold in your mind the very best outcome possible!

Seek out the help of family or dear friends to explore resources.  Reach out to community activities, as isolation harms a saddened heart.  If we try to reframe our challenge into an adventure that will enhance your life in a different way, fear and anxiety can be greatly reduced.

Even though we may be surrounded by loved ones, our hearts still beat alone.  We can listen to guidance, advice, and opinions, but the final decision will be ours alone.  Whatever direction is taken, primarily, we will be alone.

And is this not the lesson ... to blossom and flourish on our own ... to gather our wits about us and let empowerment carry us forward ... to believe in our gifts and talents ... and stand singularly on our own? 

We must appreciate our unique beauty and depend upon our inner spirit, so when we are faced with a life challenge, we will find comfort in holding our own hand.

Where The Light Enters You

The wound is the place

where the light enters you.

Rumi

When I make presentations to various women's groups, I have them take a sheet of paper and draw a line horizontally across the page, from left to right.  Then I have them draw vertical lines pointing up from that base line, for each happy moment in their lives, such as life celebrations (graduations, marriage, birth, anniversaries, retirement).

This task finished, I instruct the women to draw vertical lines down from the base line, for each difficult moment in their lives, such as life challenges (death, divorce, moves). 

With these directions being completed, I then ask the ladies to go back and place a star at every turning point in their lives.  Slowly, chatter begins to build with interesting insights.

All of the stars symbolizing turning points are discovered to be placed in life's challenges and not in life's celebrations.  It is through our struggles that we learn and gain wisdom.  It is from here that we alter our course and change directions.

Harshness can crack life wide open, leaving the sense that nothing will ever be the same again; but when the challenge is faced allowing light to enter the wound, healing and empowerment follow.