Take What You NEED

Lately, I’ve been asking myself, 

 “What do I need? 

I’m not just talking about help with the dishes,

  more family time, 

or playing with my creative spirit.

  I’m talking about really asking for what I need.
 ~ 

 patience

 JOY 

trust

 love

 inspiration

 courage

 magic

  support
forgiveness
acceptance
gratitude

~

  I recently came across

this sign on Facebook

 and just loved it.


 I thought it would be really fun
 to make my own version.

 So, I got out my paints, bushes, and fabric 
and asked myself, 

“What do I need?” 

What do we all need more of?

Since this is the start of the season of giving, 

I decided to hang this sign 
in the front entrance of our home,
as a reminder 

for all those who came and go,

to take what we need.  

What do you need, today?

Chasing the moon

image found here

I chased you

as you made your grand entrance

into the night 

hiding behind the houses 

and peaking through

 the silhouettes of the trees.

I chased you last night 

wanting to be covered 

in your glorious glittery glow, 

to feel your luminous warmth 

embrace me,

 to hold me ~ together.

Yet,

 you produce no light of your own, 

instead

you are reliant upon the sun's light

 to reflect your image 

into my earthly eyes. 

 You are always in balance.

There was a time when we ran together, 

our cycles mirrored each other,

 so predictable, 

you and I. 

 Your energy filled me up

  like a red rose

 bursting open 

and filling the air with pollen.

Each month 

you tugged at the ebb and flow

 of my soul

 as it emptied with anticipation

 for what may be.

It is because of you

these words

pour out from me

as they splatter onto the paper.

You pull so strong 

on the waves of my emotions, 

 as I pause 

deeper and deeper into my being, 

 transitioning into what will be,

 the waves become calmer 

and I become more and more dehydrated.

Each dark phase continues

 to renew me

 and brings fresh beginnings

 and permission to start again, 

to begin

 like never before.

I chased you last night 

as the rhythm of your soul pulled me 

back and forth and back again.

Like a lullaby,

your whispers seeped in through my windows,

and illuminated my dreams.

letting go

“People hold on to their clutter because they are afraid to let it go ~~ afraid of the emotions they may experience in the process of sorting thorough the stuff, afraid they will make a mistake and later regret getting rid of something, afraid they will leave themselves vulnerable, exposed or at risk in some way.  Clutter clearing can bring up a lot of “stuff” to be faced and dealt with, and intuitively everybody knows it.

The process of clearing clutter is all about letting go.  Not just letting go of your belongings ~~ that is only the end result.  The most important thing is learning to let go of the fear that keeps you holding on to them after it is time to move them on their way.”   CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WITH FENG SHUI,  By  Karen Kinston

photo credit 

I have a huge secret I’m ready to share with you. So, please be gentle with me as you read this. I’ve keep it closed up tight for years.  Those who have been in my home know it exists.  I don’t talk about it. It’s a closed subject.  In fact, the secret lies behind a closed door.  

Some of you may have a drawer, a shelf, or a closet that has been collecting clutter.   I have a whole room. You read it right.  A room ~~ 4 walls, 2 windows, a closet and a door ~~ that has been closed for almost 11 years.  I’ll confess even deeper by telling you that I removed the door knob to keep my secret shut tight and to avoid any trespassers. 

Before I became a mom I worked full time and the room was a very productive place.  It was my home office.  It was organized and functional.  Over the years, it became a container for things that did not have an assigned place in my home, for things that got in the way when people visited, for things that I simply did not know what to do with.

This room holds a lot of shame for me.  Not because of anything that has happened in it, more so, for what has not happen;  the family photos and handwritten notes that never made their way into the plastic covered scrapbooks, the gifts that were bought and never sent, the cards that were written and never mailed, the clothes that were not worn, and fabric that never made it’s way to the sewing machine.

I recently navigated through the layers of this archeological dig, and dusted off projects that will never be completed, gifts I received that never sang to my heart, and things that were bought because they were a great bargain.  I am thrilled to report that the "stuff" has been donated, recycled or tossed to the curb.

As I continued to excavate the memories that have been held captive within the cobwebs of those 4 walls, I realized that some are too heavy to let go. Like the subtle, yet so familiar cologne that lingers on the shirt my dad wore to his last visit to the hospital 19 years ago.  It still occupies a corner of the closet with the stale packet of gum in the front pocket.

It’s been a huge process of going through the layers and unraveling wounds from the past as well as dusting off treasures for the future.  

Clutter holds a negative energetic pull that keeps us stuck.  It is so obvious to me that when my home is cluttered and untidy, so is my mind.  This is when the creative blocks surface, making me feel stuck and blocked.

Love and fear cannot exist in the same space, everything that I am holding onto through fear is blocking me from having more love, more creativity and more space in my life.  Fear stops us from being who we truly are, and from doing what we are meant to do.

When we are able to resolve our clutter issues, we are able to discover parts of our self that got buried underneath it all. The rewards for clearing the clutter are abundant. 

Lately, I have a lot of clarity about my life purpose and I know that by clearing the clutter, and releasing the fear, it allows me to get closer and closer to my true self.  

Kingston tells us, “Letting go of clutter leaves you free to be you, which is the greatest gift you can ever give yourself”.

So, my friend, I invite you to let go of something you have been holding onto.  Trust me, it is the greatest gift you can give yourself.