This is a picture of my new Labradorite bracelet.
My good friend, Amy, opened her new shop, Beloved Crystals, about a month ago. Today we met for coffee and talked about family life, dreams, new endeavours, fears, and of course, her beautiful creations.
According to Amy’s description of the bracelet, “labradorite is a protective and grounding stone.”
Perfect. This is what I need most right now. I tend to react quickly and impulsively. I need something to tether me down, to feel solid and secure. My thoughts can turn into worries that spiral into feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. This restlessness often results in lashing out and burning out.
I met Amy two and a half years ago on the northern most tip of New Brunswick in a small town called Tracadie. Our husbands are a part of a group that meets once a year in different Canadian locations. This was the first time that both of our families would be at this event together. We connected instantly but they lived about an hour away from us, outside of Toronto so we didn’t keep in touch. Recently, Amy and her husband Yuri and her three boys moved back to Toronto and we have been scheduling regular meet-ups. Although we live at opposite ends of the city and our busy schedules, Amy and I have been making a serious effort at meeting at least once a month.
Conversations with Amy ground me to the present. It’s exciting to talk about our new projects that we are passionate about and to share our fears about putting ourselves out there. We give each other comfort. In each conversation, I learn something new.
I am grateful for the relationships in my life that neither strengthen my attachment to the past by dwelling in it nor make me chase the future of things that may not every happen. These relationships remind me to stay in THIS moment by making it safe to be who I am in my most real and raw state right now. I can shine a light on the past as something that led me to this perfect instant and look at the future as a place of hope and possibility.
***
If you are following my little self-reflection challenge for the next week, here is your third prompt, the third step in choosing a one word intention/theme for next year:
What relationships or habits act as a safe place for you to deepen your awareness of the present? Who can you turn to when you look too far behind or too far ahead for too long? What tools do you have at your disposal that keep you grounded in this moment?
Leave a Reply