Circle No. 71: "Live Until You Don't"

There are many seasons to life. When spirit first lands, all the physicality is new: breathing air instead of water; tasting; walking; holding; judging distance; and interactions of this new body with other moving creatures in this amazing Earthly place. Each of us learns taste, touch, hearing, smells, seeing the sun and the moon. If we are lucky, we learn the loving touch of our mothers; the safety of being held by our fathers. We learn lessons in love and comfort as well as fear, hurt and loneliness if and when mothers, fathers and others are less than that. We move into a season of summer when all things alive grow and flourish, develop, explore, and we refine our movements, dexterity, and judgement. We learn social skills, relationships, likes and dislikes and move toward a purpose for our lives. We move toward those things that move us; that bring us joy and meaning to life. We learn a trade or skill or vocation. We go to Earth school. We come to learn what we may be good at doing. Learning and moving with the rhythms of life we begin to find our independence and desires to find our own meanings of supporting ourselves and beginning a new life independent of our parents or childhood supports. 

 

The transition from dependence to independence is fraught with challenges, dangers, traps and pitfalls that can alter our perception of who we think we are and what we think we will become as an independent living unit. We learn hurt, disappointment, fear, hesitation, and failure. We may also learn continuance, perseverance, bravery and sometimes even success. These seasons of life can sometimes make us quit, give up or find another way forward. Sometimes tragedy can make us curl up, give in, lose hope, back down or drop out. Sometimes life events cause chronic pain, dysfunction both physically and mentally. We can lose confidence and a will to go on. It is like we die within ourselves. We look for others who have also suffered and together we fall from grace with gravity and gather together and stop trying to continue. Falling leaves gather in the fall.

 

One bad experience can teach us that all such situations will be bad. We then have preconceived notions that we are not good enough and that we will never be able to... Prejudices form and assumptions color our opinions and biases limit our willingness to try. We give up and drop like leaves in the fall.

 

Yet, if we can ground ourselves in the sense of taking one step at a time and rest in our willingness to do our best, then we can trust in the chance that our lives are unfolding EXACTLY AS THEY SHOULD. Leaves all around us may shrivel and fall. No doubt each of us will wilt and fall sometime. The joy and adventure in this life we are given--I believe--is to live as best we can for as long as we can. The timing of the fall of our leaf is not up to us but in the grander scheme of things governed by the spiritual spark that landed us here in the first place.

 

As CST practitioners, we hold people in their darkest hour of fear, tragedy, loss, and pain. Our role is to lead them to an awareness that there is an inner strength that can be cultivated; hope can come alive, healing can come and they are not always who they think they are. Helping them return to the wonder of their spring season to view each new day as a surprise and adventure may be the gentle encouragement they need to live fully until they don't -- no matter what their season. There is ample wonder and awe in the first snowfall. Winter has surprises rich with opportunities of newness, hope, happiness, adventure as well as patience, stillness and inner self-awareness. Feeling all that you can until you can't; seeing the mystery of the stars and moon until you can no longer see; hearing the rolling rumble of the ocean surf until your world goes silent. In all these ways all your seasons can be met with joy and wonder. You may be the last leaf in the tree when winter comes upon you. There, in that moment, one can sing a song of gratitude and thanks. You, CST practitioner: hold them gently and usher them to their season of transition and forward looking to their next season.

 

May you hold your clients with amazing grace and humble witness to the season they may be in.

 

Happy Day,

Don

 

Comments welcome.