It’s like clearing a long-forgotten drawer and coming across gems that you have forgotten about. And instead of getting on with throwing out and re-arranging, you find yourself still on the floor, hours later, smiling at old photographs, re-reading cards, notes or journals (see footnote 1), or holding useless, but priceless little treasures (see footnote 2).
Isn’t it interesting how we always look at these stashed-away items with endearment and a sweet smile in our souls when we see them?
Isn’t it fascinating how what has been forgotten, leaves a tenderness in our hearts when we meet it again?
Even, and especially, those that were hard to look at earlier, or difficult to hold. When we take them out of the drawer, we find them with a softness. Sure, they may still give us a heart-pang, they may still remind us of a sting, but we can hold them.
See, time does not heal. Time just allows us to develop peace, compassion, and perhaps fondness, for our experiences. To reveal the love and the wisdom for our lifepaths. Our joys and our sorrows. The ones which we carefully put in the drawer.
We find a space for them, and we find movement.
But beware! The ones that we prematurely stow away, that we try to stash into overfilled boxes, or force into crammed corners of our being before we have a chance to look at them – those have a way of creeping out. We normally don’t find them in old-forgotten drawers. We find them in the arguments with our loved ones, in mistrust, misuse and abuse of our bodies, in perpetual broken promises to ourselves, and in the dramas, push-and-pull, and pain of everyday life.
Sometimes, we convince ourselves that we have managed to put one of these items away, or that we have discarded them completely. We don’t see them when we open drawers.
And indeed, sometimes we have discarded them.
But more often than not, they are with us.
Those are the beasts we carry.
The lurking shadows.
The shit we have not healed, that tear our souls apart and feed on our life force.
Perhaps, we just haven’t given them a space.
A space to be seen, to be acknowledged, to let them speak, before we let them go.
Or a space where they are carefully and snugly wrapped in our drawers of experience, dreams, memories, and hope, to be looked upon with fondness when the time is right. And then, we can either put them back in the drawer, or give them wings to fly.
For they will never be gone. Their sweet smell will linger, and their imprint will last.
And when the time comes that we don’t even need the drawer (and that time will come!), we get our wings, and we fly!
Footnote 1 – For those who do not have physical photographs or notes in drawers anymore, go look on your phone, or the cyber-cloud, your stuff is there!
Footnote 2 – For those who have managed to never clutter your space – not even once – with “useless old treasures”, you are a rare breed indeed!
About the Author:
Celeste Du Toit is Transformational Coach and Holistic Therapist based in KZN, South Africa. Her approach is holistic and body-centered to help identify and change beliefs, patterns, and behaviours that are keeping us stuck, and her work appeals to people who take responsibility to live their highest potential and truth. She uses NLP, Family and System Constellations, body-centered practices such as Kahuna Massage, breath techniques and energy healing, and deep questioning in her repertoire. In a grounded, focused, practical, yet highly intuitive and empathic way, she supports and inspires you to authentically create more joy and mastery in your life.
Her blogs, vlogs, and writing tap into her poetic, questioning, and enigmatic side, and speak to her conscious teacher archetype.
Links:
FB: LiveYourTruthWithCeleste/
IG: @liveyourtruth_with_celeste