The Adventurer Returns
There was a moment of pause. The sound of crackling fire filled the room and I noticed the remainder of the world go mute.
I sat, rocking but feeling as though I was still.
Safe behind two French doors, I watched as the whisper of wind grazed the lakes top layer.
The trees stood as a reflection of a fall palette. A scene molded just for me and placed in the in between.
A place that I’ve never been in this body, but have seen before.
Sitting and pondering I hear the sound of small footsteps through the sound of rain outside. I pause.
“You told me to meet you here.” I hear a young voice say.
I was not alarmed but comforted. I turned to look for her in my mind scape that had seamlessly joined in my external reality.
I saw her, several feet from me. I found it hard to identify her age, but I knew it was a reflection of me. Must be between 7 and 8 I thought. I went to my file of memories, and they seemed to be vacant of her. No file for this age range.
I stepped closer and allowed myself to become fully visible where she could see.
“Remember? You said that in do time, you’d meet me here! I’m so happy to see you!” I felt an embrace of a childlike spirit flood into my being.
I saw memories of joy, laughter, and play flash like photos in my mind. My heart, expansive and warm. I had been to this place. In a dream. When I was about that age.
Tears flooded my eyes as I realized this is where she was stuck. This was the in between in the meeting of the realities.
The hug seemed to last forever. As I pulled away, eye level with her I shared, “Oh my love, it’s ok we are together again.”
I saw the wanderer come in. I saw the curiosity to journey come in. I saw the adventurer return.
Throughout the remainder of this experience I welcomed that creative spirit to the team that guides this human form.
Sitting with her I asked how I could have missed her when reviewing my experiances? How could I be going through this life without the childlike desire to journey and try new things for myself?
She replied with an elegant, but simple answer as she sat kicking her legs back and forth on the chair next to me, “Who do you think has been going on the adventures in your dreams?”
My eyes filled with tears again. She was never lost; she was guiding me from a protected realm in ways I couldn’t perceive before.
“You are absolutely incredible.” I said sitting in awe of all we had accomplished together while separate.
As the experience came to a close, I honored the space and took my little adventurer back with me. Allowing her and introducing her to those she helped guide for many years.
Reflection:
Along the path of growing from this age to now, I have journeyed paths that were close to mine but not always a path I aligned with.
Seven-year-old me didn’t have the stories to pick up. She was strategically placed away to protect her from them. A strategy to preserve the childlike desire to try new and not be afraid of failure.
In reuniting, I saw her excited to do things that seemed risky but then witness my adult self-protect her. She was uncomfortable but there was a knowing everything would be ok.
When I was little, I could handle having nightmares because I knew they were only a nightmare until I opened my eyes. I knew that I could adventure, and some adventures would be exciting and others uncomfortable. I trusted, I believed in myself and loved the experience.
I think it’s fair to say life can feel like a nightmare sometimes. But it is with a clear mind and honest sight that we reveal the light that loves the journey.
