Of Labels And Identity

Of labels and identity
   'I am' is a powerful statement. 'I am'/'you are' can explain and label a variety of things, including emotions, vocations, lineage and culture, ailments, etc. But, simply saying “I am’ without the need of anything else taps into your true self, the Divine soul expressed inside. Because all those things describe your physical body, and often limit you as a infinitely beautiful soul.

These labels often get confused with our sense of self, of restrict us from learning about our potential entirely. 

    

 Also, consider the labels others use to describe you.. Do you come to accept them as part of yourself, without really examining them, or even realizing that they are just that person’s limited point of view, as dictated by their life’s experiences, beliefs, upbringing, etc? 

What happens when you are no longer what you've come to identify with? Do you experience the crisis of identity? Is it possible for you to move on from that and grow into your being, or do you hopelessly hold onto that label. Causing yourself stress and anxiety? 

Here, I express the labels I've heard about myself, or those that I've given myself for years, the stories attached to them, and those that hindered my growth. 

When we strip away all of these words, we are bare and  more vulnerable. It can be scary, but also liberating. And When we remove the labels we give others, we are forced to really ’see’ them just as they are.  Without preconceived notions, judgments, boxes, or labels. 

                      Open your eyes. See with your heart.

I am/not

  

( Not to be confused with ‘‘Is/not”, written by the brilliant Margaret Atwood )

I am

Water of the streams

Particle of the stars

Breath of the Divine

Roots in the Earth

Fire in my belly

                         I am

I am not:

Lazy, broken, or incomplete

I am not half of a whole

A doormat, 

Without purpose or drive or focus

I am:

 woven in the blanket of my ancestors

Your ancestors

A fine thread indeed

connected in this great web of life

A living expression of the Goddess and God
   I am

I am not:

Too Sensitive

Unworthy of respect or care or kindness 

Nor am I a sinner, or savior, nor needing saved

I will not go elsewhere to ‘find myself’

I am not lost

  I am right here

                     I am

I am the morning dew

The willow leaves

The evening fog

The comfort of the campfire

Breath of  Gaia

            I AM

     

I am
shining stardust
         I am

More than you percieve
I am
a river of emotion
I am
the dance of the Divine

                

                 I am

In the Light of Darkness

    In the Light of Darkness

She walked through the field alone,
She stretched and Shook the stardust and dreams from her flowing hair,
 Uncertain of the path before her.
It was barely visible; the weeds and weather had covered what was once a clear trail.
She looked back at her  past self, and all the obstacles she had faced thus far.
‘poor thing,’ she muttered, ‘so bruised and beaten. It’s a wonder she made it as far as she did.’
Then she felt the Goddess speaking from inside. From her heart? Her mind? She wasn't sure which.
  “Tell her. Tell her how proud you are of her for carrying you as far as she did. Assure her that she did the best she could with what she had. Tell her she is, was, and always has been beautiful, radiant, smart, special, and talented...just the way she was. Tell her I never left her side. Speak honestly. Speak frankly, but be gentle. She has been through so much. She needs to hear it.” 
   She gazed up ahead, through the fields of flowers and brush. She rested her eyes on an endless ocean, kissed by the milk-dipped moon. And here is what she said--
 “ I am so proud of you for all that you have done. You've been through so much, and I know it was part of your path. You got me to where I am today, and I am thankful. You are beautiful, little one. Inside and out. It pains me that you never saw it,” she choked back tears as she continued, “I wish you didn't let others make you feel unwanted or not good enough. There were those that liked, even loved you for you. We have that now. It might not be who you wanted, but it’s who we need. Please don’t be sad, or feel ashamed. For anything you've done. I know now. I understand.” She kept her gaze steady on that reflection of the moon. Focusing on its quiet, receptive energy, she poured her heart to the weary traveler behind her.
“I know the pain you've felt, and the loneliness. I don’t know how you did it. I don’t always know how I will get through it myself. But you did, and I will. Just please, don’t ever think of yourself as weak. I know many that haven’t made it as far as you have, and could survive all you did. You are such an amazing person. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. We need to let those things go now. Let the waves wash over us, and carry away the sadness, anger, and hurt.”
  She turned on her heels then and faced her former self. At that moment, other versions of her past self stepped from the shadows. She tilted her head, as if listening for more guidance, but nothing came. In an instant, grasped them by the hand, indicating for them to form a chain. No longer dusk, she led their way through the darkness of night, with only the moon to guide her. Once, twice she stumbled over rocks and brush. Her long, flowing skirt got caught in the thorns, but still she pressed on until they reached the sleepy ocean.
  Once they arrived, she finally let go of their hands. She motioned for them to sit along the shore as one, letting the waves tickle their feet. She heard giggles from her youngest self. Her teenage self was crying; surely a release of emotion. She watched the sickly one dance in tide-pools, and another curl up and let the waves wash over her bruised shell. Soon, all of them were shining with the light of the moon. The bruises were gone. The tears washed away. The hate, pain, sadness, and anger had dissipated with each crashing wave.
Satisfied, the woman walked out as far as her legs could reach the sandy depths, and plunged head first into the healing waters. And she smiled.

Inbetween

  

Inbetween


Inbetween- where you will find the fairies,
the mermaids, the dryads.
And this is where you will find her.
Is she a changeling, you ask?
Was she switched at birth, so a human child could be taken,
To the thinnest veil of existence?

She is so often between worlds, times, places, faces, and feelings.
A human body with a restless spirit,
Not of this world,
But a world between.

Hope and heart, Mind and soul,
Have little meaning when you put force to them.
Can someone truly understand a spirit such as hers?
To dance in the palest moonlight, and sings songs to the trees.
To whisper secrets to the streams, and delight at the humming of bees.

Inbetween what she once was, and who she is,
Between love and fear,
Girl and woman,
Free and shackled.

Hope and heart
Mind and soul
Have little meaning when you force them
Or When you take them separately.
She demands and admires respect.
Ask for permission, and share in the beauty of it all.
For this is the way of her kindred,
And the spirits inbetween.