Sunday in the middle of July. Perfect for rest and solitude: time to allow ourselves to feel the all our feelings - the full spectrum of emotions the season is bringing. And to imagine and dream. And feel at ease with ourselves. But how? As Carl Jung wrote, “The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely.”
So this rabbit, which I found in the gutter where I parked the car on Friday when I stopped at a local store on my way home had a message. The Anglo-French “vaillant” - which translates to our more current spelling of‘valiant’: "worthy, strong, courageous," from present participle of valer "to be of worth," going back to Latin valēre "to have strength, be well". Seems apt.
Is there a sense that big changes are on the horizon? Whatever story and to move towards the future, we must first process the past. Be kind and gentle with your self. Then take the plunge, and commit to live and fully engage. All of us, we have to learn how to invent our lives: how to make them up, imagine them, dream then choose whether to build or let go. We need to be taught these skills, teachers and guides to show us how. If we don’t, we will find our lives are made up for us by other people. Be worthy, strong and courageous: have strength and be well.
Be valiant. Just keep going. And if you feel like it, share in the comments how you’re doing this week.
This was a perfectly timed reminder. I've been overwhelmed with activity and the constant "giving" to others. Resentment has been building and finally boiled over. My first response was to chastise myself for feeling this way and then to bury it. Instead, I journaled every thought and recognized I needed to honor that anger as a cry for help. The responsibility to others hasn't gone away, but I've been able to elevate my own care first and take a moment here and there to find joy. Hope you're doing well 😊.