Broken Jaws, Scars & Super Powers
| “Seeds of love we plant It is the highest teaching From the muck we bloom” |
| Ciao and Sacred Sunday to you: How are you doing this week? I hope you’ve been taking good care of yourself. Recently a dear friend had a little scare. At her yearly routine dermatology appointment, the Doctor discovered something suspicious on her right temple. After a biopsy they learned it was basal cell and of course it needed to be removed. The good news is she had the procedure, and the Doc was certain they “got it all”. The not so good news, she was sporting three inches of stitches down the temple area. Now with the removal of the stitches she’ll be left with scarring. What you need to know, is my friend has gone through tremendous loss and unbearable suffering. And with support and grace, I’m pleased to say she’s come out the other end to embrace her life once again with joy. The cool and powerful truth she shared with me is that she doesn’t mind that she’ll have a scar. Why? Especially as women, we pride ourselves on outward appearances and how we present to the world. The thing is while she’s grateful and appreciative of life again, she also lives with the pain of her loss every day. And the scar, it’s now an external manifestation of the inner journey of grief she navigates daily. It has become a talisman of her fortitude and courage. Wow, right! Her story reminded me of the myth of Hanuman, the monkey god. I’ll keep this brief… Hanuman was born with many superpowers and didn’t realize how powerful he was. As a young boy he adored mangoes. One day as he looked up towards the sun, he mistook it for a mango. With much delight Hanuman leaped into the sky ready take a huge bite out of the sun. But when the other gods and deities saw him, they panicked and began imploring Indra, the old god of creation, to stop him or the world would be plunged into darkness. In the nick of time Indra gave a fist to Hanuman’s jaw and knocked him to the ground. As a precaution, he veiled Hanuman’s remembrance of his powers to protect the world until Hanuman was mature enough to use his powers wisely. There’s more to this story that I’ll share at another time, but for today here’s what’s important for you to take away. Hanuman’s disfigurement is also the source of his power. Hanuman’s stain, or scar, is also a mark of his greatness. Hanuman translates to “broken jaw” – we ALL have invisible and visible scars and fissures that are imprinted on our bodies, in our tissues, in our hearts and in our spirits. My questions to you… Will you learn to shift your perspective and see your “broken jaw” as a symbol of bravery and strength Will you learn to use your pain as the impetus to live the life you truly want Or will you allow your battle scars to be an excuse to stop you from shining brilliantly Oh, my love, pause, take a breath, and know that the choice is yours. With love and appreciation, xoxo Paulette |
