Journey is You

 Today's focus for me, you will likely have an entirely different focus, is hope. I've been feeling a bit down, and as a result yesterday I didn't prepare for the today as has become my custom, forgetting to prepare my journal for today until I was tucked into bed.

Perhaps that worked out for the best in the end as when I went to set my focus I wrote hope.

That is only tangentially related to today's journal writing prompt. Today's prompt is related to a dream I had several nights ago which I posted on my pillowfort account. The full details aren't important here, though go read if you are interested.

What I want to highlight is the final part of the dream.

I had a child on my lap, sitting on my left knee, and facing towards the right. My arm was loosely wrapped around the child. I gave the child a kiss on the forehead, and a few moments later a white dog-like creature came to my right side. I dropped my arm on top of the creature and gave it a kiss on top of its head. Then I wondered, within my dream head, whether that was right/good, to have kissed the creature after having kissed the child. Wasn't that making them equal? I gave the child another kiss and reconsidered. It was fine. 

It wasn't till I woke  up however that I understood why it was fine.

The child is sitting embraced by my left arm, in protected fashion on my "heart" side. I kissed the child on the forehead, establishing my rank over the child, but in a protective fashion, as we are still face to face. My arm is over the creature and I am in control of it. I kiss it on the top of the head, again, establishing rank, though this time as master.

The child is the vulnerable part of me, the need part of me. Like all children, this is the part of me that must be cared for, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. This is also the part of me that is innocent and wondering.  I must provide protection and food to allow the child the optimum health while at the same time allowing the child to discover and enjoy the world. 

The creature represents the part of me driven by desires, fears, worries. It is the irrational thoughts or the frightening and intrusive thoughts that enter everyone's head. I must embrace this part of me also, for wants in and of themselves are not bad, it is when these thoughts get out of control, when these desires refuse to consider the needs of other parts of myself or others that they become bad. Therefore, I must assert my control over them.

Embracing and loving both these parts of me, while establishing the correct relationship with them, allows me to become a healthier me all around. 

Today's prompt is to write and/or draw these aspects of yourself, and how you will properly relate to them. 

If it is frightening to write about or draw about directly, consider metaphor, using poetry, or relating these ideas to something you are or have read/seen, such as characters from a television show, or a book you read. Keep in mind the relationship to the child is protection, and the relationship to the creature is mastery, and that you are embracing both.