Cleaning – Cleansing – Sanitizing
It’s something on everyone’s mind these days, but how many are cleansing their body, mind and their environment – of stuff?
I seem to have become a pro at decluttering. I literally carry everything I own on me and everything I own must serve more than one purpose. So recently, I was faced with a dilemma; as many know, a very promising relationship ended and I had to let go of the idea of a future with her. If you’re truly in love with someone, that’s not an easy task for the mind, but its an important one to accept. Day by day, you let go of the dreams you once had and your lives move further and further apart. Someone you once talked to throughout the day, becomes someone you use to know, but everyone holds out for some hope that perhaps this is just a break and things might resolve and then – there you are, together again. Let’s face it, every couple has had moments of trouble, doubt and uncertainty, but every relationship isn’t meant for forever, no matter how we feel in the begining. When Chris and I broke up, I too held out hope that we could work through it, but the more time we spent apart, the clearer it became that it was the right thing to happen. No matter how amazing two people can be, sometimes their gears are enough out of sync that it’s just a matter of time before it fails and at that point, the damage will be done. That’s what happened to us and while I look back on the time we spent together with fondness, I look now with clarity and see that it was not going to work in the long run. Still, there are those good memories.
So my dilemma; What do I do with the “stuff”. From a custom hand made Christmas Ornament to a gift of a water bottle. Not something I want to or can pack away in a box and forget about for 20 years, but also not something I can give to others. The dilemma was, what do I do with it. It felt too important to just throw in the trash and frankly, I hate throwing stuff in the trash, but there was no way I was going to hold onto it.
The answer for me was a ceremonial burning and recreation. Not one out of anger or hatred, but one to honor the memory of the time and importance of these gifts. Like my native ancestors before me would do to honor the spirit of the person that had died, I too honored the spirit of the relationship. In burning what I could, I set free its spirit and released it into the air as I both, honored the memory and let it go. So what do I do with the one object I could not burn, not throw away and not give to someone else? I had an idea – reincarnation! A grinder, paint and some stickers and problem solved. I have a new water bottle with a new purpose – another place I can put stickers of my travels.
