One Origami, One Wish - Be Your Best Parent

By débora Ewing
Meg and I were leaving our favorite Turkish Restaurant, Meze, when we saw a woman wearing a hat that erupted in black feathers. She was on the sidewalk, handing out Origami Cranes from a basket. Of course I wanted one. Here's the wish attached to it:

"tend to your pain like a mother cradles her baby, put aside what you're doing and take care of it. act of holding brings relief, even when you don't know what's causing the pain. art of power 844 you are held and supported by the entire universe."

I thought about this, and decided to do it.

I go though life assuring myself that I have conquered any issues I may have, because I know how I should feel about them and I reasonably sincerely do. However, there is still pain, and probably I have been ignoring it for so long it feels normal. 

You know this one, don't you?

We're brought up - many of us are - to suck it up, "keep a stiff upper lip". Nobody's got it easier; just stifle it and do your part.  But you are a process: a complex set of conditions, machinery and chemical reaction. If one step of the process is neglected, the whole thing eventually shuts down.

Sucking it up only makes things easier for someone else. It doesn't help you. 

Your body is your child - your mind is your child. Take care of it. If it's crying, if it's non-compliant, stop your busy day. Get down on the child's level, and say hey. What's wrong? Where do you hurt? What do you need to get over so you can get back on track? 

A child doesn't know the words to tell you what's wrong. Simply following the prescribed motions doesn't fix anything. It just makes the outside look more normal, easier for others to accept. You will likely find that the problem isn't the problem everyone has identified. Everyone doesn't know your child - you do. Listen.

So when I have a day like today when something unnamed is bugging me, I just stop. I try not to focus on anything but the awkward thing inside me, and I hold it like a baby, to see if it's something that could heal and better my overall self.  It seems to be working for me.

If you need an origami crane with a message attached, let me know. I can do that.

Comments

  1. MariWednesday, 24 January, 2018

    {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Deb}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}} You are my crane. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. MariWednesday, 13 May, 2020

    :-) You are still my crane. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Deb}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

    ReplyDelete
  3. trEWednesday, 13 May, 2020

    This bit right here:

    "A child doesn't know the words to tell you what's wrong. Simply following the prescribed motions doesn't fix anything. It just makes the outside look more normal, easier for others to accept. You will likely find that the problem isn't the problem everyone has identified. Everyone doesn't know your child - you do. Listen."

    Yes! This is sound advice and I am glad you shared this post via Twitter.

    ReplyDelete

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