Spilling Water

A Story

She dragged herself out of bed, the heaviness already beginning.

Today would be a day where thoughts would take shape into words which attached to feelings which had ugly roots that needed to be cared for.

A visitor was coming.

She readied herself and awaited his arrival. Without a sound, her old friend, Sorrow, sat down next to her.

All the unwelcome guests that had also accompanied her took their turn speaking, and as each one was heard, they were kindly asked to leave. Sorrow took hold of the girl’s hand and they took a moment to just sit and be together.

As they sat, the girl realized that she had a giant pail of water, that she was carrying within her chest.

Sorrow asked about it. The girl only answered, that it was so heavy. Sometimes, unbearable.

Now as water does, it begins to make its way out and about. Flowing first into previously carved channels. Taking any paths available and making new paths as needed.

With Sorrow’s kind eyes giving her courage, the girl allowed the water to begin to travel through her veins, her muscles, and finally flowing out through her eyes into the Ocean of Life, where it would be caught and preserved by the Mother of all things.

Water is precious. Water is life. Water is not to be wasted, whispered her friend, Sorrow.

Sorrow continued to whisper his questions, words of wisdom, and love to the girl, who was having trouble breathing with such a heavy bucket of tears pressing against her lungs.

He grabbed her hands, and helped her to her feet. He asked the Mother to bring the special wind, and bade her look at the trees behind her, in this deep forest of beauty and memory.

The tree’s began swaying in the wind. Their old leaves, and dried up helicopters fell off as they moved with the wind swirling around them. Sighs of relief could be heard in the whooshing of the leaves.

The girl felt the wind, and also began swaying back and forth.

She spread her arms out wide and swayed with all her might, feeling the ocean still inside her sloshing around.

Water was spilling out of that heavy bucket.

Each splash was a relief, and was lightening the weight inside of her.

As she was dancing in the wind, spilling water and tears and ocean all around her, the wind suddenly changed.

The Mother appeared in the mist. She wrapped her arms around the girl, and began cradling her as an infant child.

Sorrow stayed close, and gave witness to this beautiful moment, as the Mother rocked this midnight-haired child, and as the girl, who somehow was the infant AND the mother to this child, rocked along with her. The wind was swishing gently around them.

The Mother, Sorrow, and The Girl all blended their voices in the wind and sang, “Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Momma’s gonna buy you a Mockingbird.”

The girl began weeping oceans again, and the cool salty water cleansed her mind, her lips, and her heart.

She tasted goodness. And relief.

The Mockingbird sang a hopeful song in the distance.

The girl held her arms against her chest, which was now lighter and freer than before.

She, along with her companions, Sorrow, The Mother, and that magical breeze, looked out at the Ocean of Life that appeared that day, and smiled as the sun just started to peak out of the clouds.