4/4/2012 - Fresh Water

Of my musings this week, I would like to point out my belief that there are certain moments which I think we all experience that stand out in both feel and energy as being more significant than the many other more mundane rotations of the clock between such times.  They tend to be the Ley Lines that hold the gentle weave of our lives together, either creating great world changing waves in the vast sea of existence, or small but significant ripples in the puddles and ponds of our everyday lives.  Those of us who parent know exactly what I mean.

Last week, I found myself in just such a moment, and I consciously recognized it as such. I have a primary school aged son who is usually very talkative and boisterous, but he was unusually quiet one evening during supper.  To make a long story short, he has discovered his first love in a girl at school.  He is very shy around her because of an embarrassing incident that happened the previous year when he suffered with a stomach virus.  What is worse, he has heard her recount the incident to his classmates this year, so he feels that she sees nothing but that memory when she looks at him.  He asked me what to do to get her to like him (precious).

My “significant moment” alarm went off in my head, and thankfully I had spent some time under the influence of my awen that day, so I was amazed at how quickly a strong analogy flowed up to meet the moment.  This is in nowise eloquent, but it spoke to my son in a way that he understood…  I told him that when the girl in question sees him, she sees only soiled water because he has not shown her anything better since the incident (he avoids her).

I led him into the kitchen and got a clear clean glass from the cabinet, and had my son add cocoa powder, maple syrup and a drop of green food coloring to it, and proceeded to stir it up.  With glass in hand, I explained that because of the girl’s memory, THIS is how she sees you.  I told him, you can’t simply forget the memory of the glass by hiding it away.  A view can’t be discarded either, but has to be replaced with something else.  He recognized that he was the glass of soiled water and understood.  I asked him, “So, what is the best way of changing your view of the glass?” (Remember the content could not simply be discarded).

I took the glass and set it in the sink and began running fresh clean water into it, causing the concoction to overflow the rim., “You see, son, if you allow fresh clean water (new content) to fill the glass, then over time, the old memory will be washed out and replaced with fresh, clean, good thoughts and memories of you.”  But, you have to be sure you are adding good to replace the bad…clean to replace the filthy…worthy to replace the unworthy.

He smiled with understanding, hugged me and went to bed that night with a smile, deciding in himself the course which he would take.

I think that I was speaking as much to myself that day, as I was to him.  I need to take my own advice…out with the old habits, stubborn thoughts and questionable actions…In with the fresh clean water, transparent for all to see.

~Raevnsong