Journey is You

During Shiva week, the seven day mourning period Jews observe following the death of close family members, the mourners are not suppose to leave the house.

Last week I was in mourning for my father. I was home all Sunday, home all Monday, home all Tuesday.

Wednesday I left the house.

Specifically, I went to the doctor.

All night, literally the whole of the night, I was wild with pain. My back was spasming. All night. By morning I was practically crying. Scratch that, was crying.

Shabbat my friend came again to visit me, though I was up from Shiva by then, just to visit.

"Back pain comes from emotions," she explained to me (paraphrasing, I do not have perfect recall). And she referred to a book. "The pain comes because of the emotional pain and your body is trying to help out. You need to tell your physical pain that 'Thank you for your help you don't need to worry, I got this. I'll handle it." 

Now, while I'm not certain I completely agree, the advice does help.

We tense our shoulders, squeeze our hands, clench our teeth, bite out lips. We keep the emotions in, but give the work to our bodies to "take care of".

Our bodies do react to our emotions. Think of a time you were afraid, angry, joyful, peaceful, and notice what your body does.  Does it tense up or does it feel loose? Where is the tension? How is your breath?

Think of a time when you felt a great deal of emotion, and write about how your body is reacting now, and write about it.

You may want to return to this entry and reference it from time to time, especially if the emotion was negative, so that when again you are feeling intensely you can notice how your body acts and try to tell your body "It is okay. I'm feeling this, but I'm going to deal with the emotions with my brain and heart. You can rest."
 

Imagine someone gives you a peach. The peach may be, perfectly ripe, or still hard and small, sweet smelly or wormy and rotten. Whatever it is, however it is, you now have a peach. That was what was given to you.

What do you take from it? What do you make of it?
 

That is the power we have. Something was given to us, how do we make use of it?

Do you eat it as is, or juice it? Do you try and ripen the unripe peach or make a pickle of it? Bury the bad peach in the ground and hope for a peach tree, or add it to the mulch pile?

What we are given is not always a choice. While what we can take may be limited, we still have options.

Review the "what you were given entries, and choose one from each day, body, heart, mind and soul, and write what you can take from whatever was given that is positive, life changing, and adds to your growth.

Here's hoping all your peaches make your life "peachy". Okay, that was terrible, so sue me.