Lately it seems that the words, It would be good to open our
eyes and see (Thomas Merton) are caught in a perpetual loop in my mind. Their echo seeks to distract me and then pull
me into awareness as I open my mind and heart’s eyes and SEE. Only in those moments do I discover a nuance,
a subtlety to my unfolding life. I
recognize what I have ignored or have just been afraid to acknowledge.
Veil removed, I have the opportunity to look deeply at life,
reflect upon what is revealed, and then begin the process of reframing. Life as it is does not equate to
complacency. Rather, accepting life as
it is invites us to experience the plethora of possibilities. What happens when I shift into this
awareness? I stop being stuck. While movement may not be forward, it is a
glorious dance that only occurs through curious daring and courage. In my sideward slide, my perception
shifts. I see from a different
angle. And, maybe this view allows me to
see what is really unfolding.
Many years ago, I got married and had a child. It was never on my radar that I would become
a single parent raising a toddler on my own.
Yet, it happened. Time and time
again over almost two decades, I have had opportunities to reframe and frame
again, this opportunity of non-traditional family and non-traditional
parenting. Through this reframing, I
have developed a very loving, unique, not-so-conventional relationship with my
son.
If I had not been able to get past my perceptions of what a
family should look like and how I should relate to my son, the twining of my
son and I into relationship would not have occurred in this dynamic way. This shifting of awareness precipitated a
glorious dance that we continue to this day.
It is amazing how being willing to explore can bring us to a
place of wonder. We find this place of
wonder all because we were willing to open our eyes to see.
To open eyed awareness,
Vanessa
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