Our Gifts Lie Within The Shadows

Friday Flow 7/30/21 — Cultivating Presence and A Call to Rest

Take a moment to breathe, and endeavor to open to what was once closed off. The parts of you that might feel lost. All that was broken beneath your feet will once again stand. Breathe deep, do not be afraid. take my hand.

Most days, I sense a dark pull in the background of my life. It’s as if I have a shadow walking and breathing alongside me everywhere I go.

Over the years, I’ve developed an intimate relationship with this character beside me. But it wasn’t until I started writing every day did I come to understand his presence.

Most people have no clue how to feel, let alone take time to sit in stillness. They can’t sit with themselves or identify feelings because they’ve never been given a chance to remove the masks to go deeper than the surface.

The only time my shadow tends to lighten is when I am playing with my daughter or writing. These moments require presence in all forms. To step into the eyes of a five-year-old while listening intently. To create words that flow effortlessly with my heart.

These experiences call me into reality as I clash with every breath, tear, laugh, sight, and smell around me. The world transforms from abstract art to vivid colors.