Connection
In Elementary school or maybe it was junior high, (I don’t remember. We didn’t call it middle school in my day) I loved when analogy worksheets made it into the teacher’s lesson plan book and onto my desk.
Do you remember those?
Hand is to arm, as _____ is to leg.
As you got older, they started to look like this:
Feather: bird: fur: dog
Kitten: Cat: puppy: dog
(This is riveting and intriguing content. I know.)
In all sincerity, this is a look into my brain. I honestly loved completing analogies and during my home-schooling days loved to teach them. They are a quick task. They produce immediate results.
You can lead me anywhere with small tasks. And you should know that my brother Hansel, calls me Gretel.
I like to tie things together. I like to find connection. I like to find the lesson.
Here’s looking at you, Aesop’s Fables.
A year ago, my shoulder started bothering me. And in May it really started to hurt, and I stopped having anywhere near a full range of movement.
I tried all at home remedies to no avail and in July finally went to see an orthopedic doctor.
He gave an immediate diagnosis and prescribed steroids and as well as physical therapy.
When he explained what was happening, he shared that more than likely I had injured my shoulder at some point, and it became inflamed. He said, “your body read the textbook on what to do, but now the response has become inappropriate.”
The inflammation has gone on so long, that it is causing great pain and started restricting my range of motion. The inflammation was initially necessary to protect the injured area but now it needed to be retrained. I needed to reteach my shoulder how to respond.
I listened to everything and found it very interesting. He asked if I had any questions, and in my head, I silently asked the question: Did you really use the word inappropriate?
I made my physical therapy appointment. He agreed with the diagnosis and used the words retrain.
He shared that we have been conditioned that pain means bad and we should stop and in most cases that is exactly the case. But in our therapy for your shoulder, it is not true. We will need to stretch into that pain to increase your range of motion.
Physical injury leads to inflammation. This is a healthy response to protect the injured area. But in some cases, it becomes too much and restricts our movement. To heal, we must literally move and stretch into the pain to restore our body to a healthy state.
Emotional injury can lead to pain. This is a healthy response and can often lead to protection and setting up boundaries. Or self-reflection and growth. But sometimes the response to emotional injury becomes too much and it restricts us. To heal, we must move and stretch into the pain to restore our heart and soul to a healthy state.
It takes work and often requires we embark the help of a professional. Or maybe a mentor. But healing and restoration is an active process, not a passive one.
If there is an emotional wound that Is inflamed and restricting you from living life, loving other people and being yourself, you are worth the journey toward restoration.
Take the first step.
Be you, bravely.
Until next time,
Jennifer