by Carolyn Chilton Casas
What if I were to tell you my life is not as perfect as it appears from the outside? And though I claim to help people with their stresses, the hidden secret is my own often weigh me down. I’m still working on finding a way to be happy despite things that refuse to be resolved. I’ve never been good with loose ends. Once, I believed it possible to tie them all up. Now I understand this is a fairy tale.
What if I were to tell you I, too, use coping mechanisms? Chocolate is one, or anything sweet, and I’m a little addicted to coffee. Also, treasure hunting and collecting. Certainly, it’s time to be done with that. I mean, I don’t use even a minute fraction of the clothes I’ve carefully collected. Instead, each morning, I reach for a soft pair of yoga pants and a tee shirt. And how many jars of shells and sea glass does a person need to feed memory? How many books? Paintings? Photo albums? Potted plants on the patio?
What if I told you there are quite a few parts of my life I haven’t figured out yet? You might respond, no one ever does. I understand that’s true; possibly, it’s the whole reason we’re here—those lessons we’re being pushed to learn. Most often, against our will, I might add.
Who wants to admit they have no idea where to go from here?
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Carolyn Chilton Casas is a Reiki master and teacher whose favorite themes to write about are nature, mindfulness, and ways to heal. Her articles and poems have appeared in Braided Way, Energy, Grateful Living, Reiki News Magazine, and in other publications. You can read more of Carolyn’s work on Facebook, on Instagram @mindfulpoet_, and in her collection of poems, Our Shared Breath, as well as a forthcoming collection, Under the Same Sky.