Summary

The website content is a reflective essay on personal growth, emotional processing, and spiritual enlightenment, using the metaphor of a cup of tea to explore the acceptance and understanding of one's feelings and inner spirit.

Abstract

The author shares a personal journey of self-reflection and emotional turmoil, beginning with a night of mistakes and frustration that led to a morning of confusion and guilt. Through introspection and the rediscovery of a self-written, unpublished book, the author finds solace and a reminder of the inherent gifts of love, awareness, and spirit within each individual. The essay emphasizes the importance of embracing all emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, as valuable parts of the human experience. It suggests that by treating these emotions as guests at a tea party, one can learn from them and access a deeper sense of courage, love, and awareness. The author also shares a small poem from the unpublished book, which serves as a metaphorical cup of tea, offering comfort and highlighting the treasure trove of potential within every person.

Opinions

The author acknowledges the difficulty in accepting one's own mistakes and the subsequent emotional toll.
There is a belief that every emotion and state of being holds a gift or lesson to be received, requiring courage and gentleness to uncover.
The author, who is also a therapist and spiritual trekker, advocates for self-compassion and the need to listen to one's inner parts, suggesting that this self-exploration can be facilitated by meditation, walking, or simply resting.
The essay reflects on the idea that each person has a core of love and awareness, alongside the aches and pains of the human condition, and that these can coexist.
The author expresses the notion that personal strength and love can guide individuals through darkness, drawing a parallel between one's inner journey and the concept of being "Children of Light."
The author quotes Rumi and Baha'u'llah, indicating a spiritual perspective that values humility and love as essential qualities on the path to personal growth and enlightenment.

‘O’ is for October | INSPIRATION | POETRY

O Child of Love

A cup of tea to honor gifts of feelings, awareness, and Spirit

Yesterday I made mistakes that are hard to admit and accept in myself. This morning I felt confused. There were pulls on my heart and mind, left over.

I don’t need to tell you all the details. In short, I’d blamed a friend I was driving for not sharing my enthusiasm for having hand-washed my car. Late night and into the early morning, I’d distracted myself watching videos about outrageous events in the world.

After falling asleep with my lights and clothes on, I woke up and dumped my frustration on a Wells Fargo customer service man, after the company’s cheery yet irritating answering machine had hung up on me and a transfer didn’t go through over and over again.

I still felt half righteously indignant about blaming my friend when I woke this morning. And guilty for how I’d acted.

But after rummaging around my books and phone messages, I came upon this tiny book I’d written and not published. I felt its sweetness. It awakened my heart. It gave me rest before trying to explore and learn from my responses yesterday.

I believe there are gifts to receive from each of the feelings and states we experience. But it takes lots of courage, a lot of light, and gentleness to venture into facing the dark, the shadows. As Rumi said, “Would you become a pilgrim on the road of love? The first condition is that you make yourself humble as dust and ashes.” I wasn’t quite ready this morning to be humble as dust and be a pilgrim on the road of love.

As a therapist and spiritual trekker, I believe we each have a well of courage and a core of love and awareness. We also experience all the human aches– the pains and forebodings–the mad, sad, lonely, guilt, jealousy, rage, and much et cetera that are parts that developed sometime in our lives. Not to mention the rule book we’ve memorized for how people should behave.

We can, by ourselves or with the help of a coach or therapist, listen to these parts, invite them like guests to tea, and ask what they need. I know that’s what I need to do, listen to my big feelings from yesterday when I’m ready–hopefully later today.

Yet sometimes, I need to meditate, take a walk, rest before the tea party, relax, and drink my cup of tea.

This little book is the cup of tea I found. I decided to share it with you too.

“O Children of Light and Love” (Click title for the link which includes graphics) [Sorry, I’m not sure how to share with Medium readers from Google docs. One reader requested it from me, which you can do if you send me your email in the comments].

Following are the words of the wee book, with some changes.

O Child of light and love, dance with me o’er field of lilies, ‘neath trees of spruce,

with the angels of Paradise, for you are loved by ones with crowns of mercy, calls of deep laughter, like birds — soaring,

and in you a gold treasure chest — nests in your very heart, and a pearl studded key, you can copy.

Key to the biggest treasure chest there ever was, or will be, in…

YOU!

(Imagine here a photo of lovely you)

From God.

A heart treasure chest — birthpalace of words, stories, suns, moons, stars to light the world!!!!!

Open it — find treats tasty as dark chocolates, luscious as layer cakes.

Guess what?

You are the frosting. your sweetness — drawing people.

Your kindness will bestow gems of hope in sad hearts. Your gentleness will calm, soothe troubled parts. Your knowledge will lead people to the key to the treasure chests their true selves seek!!

Your strength and love will lead through the night. Such is your journey O Children of Light

in whose hearts are soooooo many gems to discover. Do not ever believe anything other!

“In the garden of Thy heart plant naught but the rose of love…”

— Baha’u’llah

______

Mia Verità Carolyn Riker James Tichenor Kristin Barnes Kathleen Prophet James G Brennan Amy Marley kurt gasbarra Anthi Psomiadou

O spirit of October, reaching leaves of Fall, the soulful Paper Poetry your creative pens doth call. Prompt ‘O’ is for October:

‘O’ is for October

Paper Poetry Month-long Prompt for October 2022

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