Matches, Kindling, or a Spark?

 
I am awake, I am alive, and this morning I am thinking of matches and kindling and amazing fires.

The conflicts of my life – the trials, the tribulations, the traumas … those are my matches. They sparked a need in me to change things, not only for myself but for others. The “dark days” keep me from being complacent for I know so many have yet to find the sun. Yes, I am grateful for the matches.

And the teachers – the Western teachers, the elders, the men I dated, the women I befriended, and those who were like nails on my mental, spiritual, or emotional chalkboard … they are my kindling. They gave me the information, the “how to”, the processes and patterns and they continue to help me to finetune what I do and say, ensuring I am ever growing, ever learning. Yes, I am grateful for the kindling.

But all the matches in the world, all the kindling one can handle, do nothing without the conscious effort to put them together in a helpful and productive way. Too much and you burn all those who come near, causing destruction rather than healing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes a little destruction is needed but with age, I find that rarely to be the case. Most need a welcoming fire, one that invites you in to listen, to think, to share, to care, to remember.

Today is a good day to build a great fire, one that will draw people in from miles around to share their stories. And when it is time, when the heat and the light are just right, I will share mine in hopes that for those who sit with me, my words will become their match or their kindling or perhaps even the first spark of their own fire.

The journey continues …
 

I love you!
HUGSSSSSSSS
Sandi