What would be good for me to know about you as a person that might be hard for me to see if we only talked about your pain, anxiety, depression, regret and exhaustion; all the things torturing you right now?
Have you ever suspected that all these feelings might be coming from a younger, terrified part of you, a child trapped in a dungeon, forced to live in his own excrement, unable to jump out into the sunlight and breathe in the sweet fresh air?
Have you ever considered that it wasn’t really you who locked you in that dungeon, that a very long time ago forces way beyond your control made you live this way?
Suppose the rest of you – the knowledgeable adult parts of you – got enraged at what was done to the innocent, younger, terrified you? And what if you began to feel deep down that your anger is justified; that your anger is really a vital part of who you are, along with all the other caring, tender, gentle parts of you.
Maybe you’re too young to remember Pete Seeger who a long time ago sang: To Everything, Turn, Turn, Turn
Here are the lyrics to read while you listen to a YouTube recording of Seeger:
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven
A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven
A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing
To everything turn, turn, turn
There is a season turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under Heaven
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sow
A time of love, a time of hate
A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late
All of these parts of you – of all of us – are who we really are.
