I will spare you the details of this past week’s drama, but suffice it to say that drama combined with the event I’m about to describe may help you as much as it has helped me.
Monday, as I was rushing to get ready for work/class, I ran down stairs with my shoes in hand. As soon as I hit the bottom step, I dropped the shoes and went directly into the kitchen to try and to get some food together for breakfast and for the rest of the day. As the microwave purred away I ran back across the den to grab my laptop and bag. Just as I reached for the bag a horrible pain shot through the bottom of my foot; I’d stepped on a binder clip! I didn’t have time to nurse my pain so I just hobbled back across the den with my bag in hand and threw my feet into my shoes to rush out of the door.
Because the shoes I had chosen to wear had been worn once before, I felt it a little strange that the right shoe seemed to be hurting the sole of my foot unlike it had ever hurt before. It wasn’t enough to pay attention to, but it was enough to occasionally make me think of my foot throughout the day.
When I finally made it home later that evening, I removed both of my shoes—as is my usual ritual. When I took the right one from my foot, I noticed a small round stain in the bottom of the shoe. I didn’t pay much attention to it but I did wonder where the stain had come from. After all, these were new shoes! I didn’t spend too much time worrying about it and went on with my evening. I enjoyed a little relaxation and then turned in for a well-rested sleep a few hours later.
The next morning during my daily bubble bath, I noticed that the bottom of my right foot was a little sore but I didn’t pay much attention to it. I went ahead and got ready to tackle my new day. Later, when I returned home and kicked off my shoes as usual, I decided to finally look at the bottom of my foot. Imagine my surprise when I noted a small puncture wound surrounded by a blue bruise!
This whole time that I’d been ignoring the minor pain, I’d actually been allowing a small wound to go unnoticed and untreated. I sat down to think—not only because of the wound, but because of some other things that were going on with me. And here’s what I came away with: If we do not take the time to reflect on those small things that nag at our skin, at our emotions, at our heart—then they can develop into bigger things that are not as easily addressed. What if I had gone even longer without actually looking at the bottom of my foot? The wound could have become infected and caused all kinds of issues—all because I did not address my initial minor pain.
Sometimes we allow people to offend us in minor ways never taking the time and responsibility for telling them how we feel. Often, it’s simply because we ourselves have not taken the time to interrogate our emotions and the reasons for them. What usually happens when we do this is that the tiny, minor irritations build and fester inside of us until our reactions to something equally as minor are blown way out of proportion. Then, we lash out uncontrollably and illogically. We hurt others around us because we have not addressed our own discomforts.
I am learning to speak my truth even in the small moments of discomfort. I am promising myself to address even the most minor of irritations so that when the time is right, I can handle anything that life throws at me.
Peace, Love, & Light,
tdp
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