Dear Friends,
Do you ever look back at a comment you’ve made or an attitude you had and wonder, “What’s wrong with me? Why I am reacting that way to a situation or person?” Or do you feel more-than-one-feeling at a time and feel confused, or even overwhelmed? Sometimes our self-esteem takes a hit as we watch ourselves get caught in reaction to life – physical pain, family issues, fears of the future, memories of the past, reactions to the present, misunderstandings…
As human beings we observe many “sides” of ourselves and sometimes find it difficult to relax with who we are, who we have become. Two quotes landed before me this month, they share a theme of wholeness, a theme of reframing the complexity of ourselves. As the dear, anxious, wise, impatient, loving people that we are, we deserve to be reminded that we are so much more than the human flaws that grab our attention. Joanna Gaines describes it this way,
“To me, there’s a grace woven into the fabric of wholeness that invites us to live in the abundance of our story. That every piece of our identity—the broken, the sad, the hard, just as much as the fulfilled, the good, the happy—is stitched together to make us complete.”
Those of us that sew, paint or create in any way, may have learned to experiment with the “mistakes.” Hopefully, we’ve learned how to incorporate that dropped stitch or loss of color intensity into the whole of the blanket, image or bowl that we are creating. And I’m suggesting dear friends, that we bring that same forgiveness and creative response into life and the being that we are. Or as Sue Bender puts it:
“It’s time to celebrate the life I do have. Piecing together the paradox – making peace with the paradox, to find balance in some larger sense so that a life can feel whole – with the pieces I have.”
It’s up to each of us, whether we focus on the piece or the peace in our lives, isn’t it? (thank you SK) Or, with patience and love, may we learn to embrace the “pieces” as the steadfast elements of our being – each our teacher, source of humor, resource of compassion, spark of new life – guiding us home toward our peace-filled heart.
With my love and gratitude, Lisa