We dig beneath our pain not only to eliminate the pain, but to grow through and beyond it; to discover what, or who, is lurking there in the dark corner of our heart left unattended as life passed swiftly by. When we grow weary of living on the surface, of trying to catch each wave of the cultural ego, or our own, we may dare to pivot. If we tire of trying to be something we are not, maybe then.
Pain is a reminder. It teaches and instructs, tells us where to look, what needs our attention. Like an ember it burns within each of us, a smoldering, glowing energy calling to us, sometimes in a whisper, sometimes a scream. It speaks our name, knows and understands us. This force will not abandon us, for beneath the pain is an endless well of unconditional love.
WE CANNOT IGNORE THE CRY
We can ignore the cry; drown out its voice with the loud, crashing din of a carefully constructed external reality. Or, we numb it with a myriad of addictive behaviors…large and small… we dampen it, tamp it down, imagine it gone as we turn a deaf ear and binge on cookies, or computers, or anger, or work, or fear, or exercise, or friends, or talking, or worrying, or…..we run away. Like children, with fingers in our ears we hide beneath the dining room table.
Or…or until…we rise up, shake off the shackles of denial, of fear, and open our arms and our hearts to that great something. Then, with each breath we take, we flood the space with air and light and watch as the flame grows a little brighter. In time we may see it burst into flames, hot and fierce and glowing, forging strength and courage and a boldness we never knew lived in that dark place.
We dig beneath our pain not only to eliminate the pain, but to grow strong and bold and wise, and to stand be fully present to all that we are.
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