Little worlds all around us.

What makes us who we are? This is not only something I wonder about in myself but in others as well. My neighbour Rosemary says we are each born with our own souls and it seems to be true. Children grow up in the same house yet they are all completely different. Each of us has a story. Part of that story comes from our life experiences and another part of the story seems to be in our DNA, or perhaps in our spirit. 

That is not to say that we cannot harness our spirit because I believe we can. I do it all the time. I create art. I will myself to change the things about myself that I see as flaws. I encourage the parts of myself that I see as good. I try to stay engaged with spirit, that raw childlike part of me that just wants to play and be friends with everyone. That part of me that wants to love and be loved. I love that little soul. I see her standing in a little coral dress, hat and sunglasses in the long grass of a backyard with the wind in her face. This is a picture I have of myself above my desk. A reminder that this is who I am. I am her as much as I am the woman I see in the mirror today. And to love your spirit, you must love them both. 

And truthfully as we scroll social media, or watch the news, or drown ourselves in yet another series it is easy to forget about our lives. The world is offering us so much distraction that we forget that interaction is also offered on the buffet. It is easy to be alone, to be lonely even. And part of that loneliness is in not paying attention to ourselves and our needs. The spirit inside us is waiting for a spark. Each of us has a low fire smouldering inside and when we create, love, and connect it lights up. I think I sometimes forget this. And I live in a world where so many people are forgetting this I could easily fit in and not bother. Instead I am choosing to bother.

I am choosing to stay active, to walk, to make art for myself, to call or text people I have not heard from in weeks. I believe in reaching in and reaching out. There are times we need to rest in ourselves. To stay home and make a cup of tea and be still. And there are times we need to call an old friend just to see what she is reading. There are times we need to walk into a room full of people just to make sure we still can. And make small talk. Yes it's ok. After all we cannot be always talking about our souls for goodness sake. Sometimes it is nice to talk about how pretty the dishes are or where you got that top. As a child I never wondered to much about my soul because I was busy being soulful. I was picking dandelions and beach rocks. I would cut up papers and make little newspapers. I would walk on the little narrow sidewalks balancing myself and make tree forts. I was a child of the village, for the universe was more than I could imagine. And that place was my world.

And today I still have a world around me. And I can pick and choose beautiful things there or I can get lost in realms that are outside of me and in which I have no real input and in which I do not matter. Let me always choose the real, the hearty, the mundane, the sacred, the world in which I really live.