Hiding
“What is unwanted within us changes by holding it in the Light (of awareness), not by hiding it from sight!” – Guy Finley
A friend told a story of something that happened to him when he was in 6th grade. He never told his friends or his family about it. I imagine that this experience changed his behavior at home. His parents probably asked him what was wrong and he probably said nothing.
That is the typical answer from a child that is ashamed and doesn’t know what to do, except hide from the experience. He had buried anger from his experience and that anger festered inside him like a poison and eventually he escaped into the drug world because he couldn’t deal with it. He eventually came to the bottom and knew that he had two choices, stop the drugs and face his feelings, or the drugs were going to kill him. He chose life and awareness.
One of my sons had a change in behavior when he was young. I noticed and began asking questions. As my sons could tell you, once I started asking questions, I didn’t stop. I would stay in their room for hours if that was what it took, until they finally started talking. When he finally opened up about what happened, we took the steps needed to help him. He became a happy boy again .
Listening to my friends story I thought about the many times I would go into one of my boys rooms and sit on the bed and ask what is wrong. I think about how if I had just accepted the answer, nothing – would they have had buried anger and shame? Would they have turned to drugs or alcohol to run away from their feelings?
When those we love are hiding in pain, do we help them shine the light of awareness on their situation? Or do we just look on wanting to help, but accepting their answer that nothing is wrong?
Do we shine the light of awareness on ourselves? Sometimes it is necessary to lance the wound so that it can drain out the poison and heal. It never helps to run from what we don’t want to face. Expose those unwanted feelings to the light of healing and drain out the poisons that we have been hiding from – whether they are our own pain or that of someone we love.
Chose life and awareness like my friend. You have great things to do in this world.
