Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Oct/Nov 2018 Aspire Mag Full Issue | Page 39
She said, “You were a heartbroken kid who
hadn’t seen or heard from her mother for more
than a year. Of course, you would go with her.
Your assignment is to talk to your brother.”
Our session over, I drove home. All the pain
and suffering which I kept buried bubbled
up. I felt angry at my parents. What kind of
parents do that to a kid? Who kidnaps her
children? Who doesn’t talk about the mistake
or hug his kid to reassure her?
A week later, I met my brother for lunch.
We made small talk, enjoying the warmth
and sunshine as we ate turkey and brie
sandwiches. As our time together drew to
a close, I said, “I have something I want
to ask you. Something that has tortured
me for years.” I looked directly at him.
“Do you remember the day mom showed
up at school?”
He nodded, his eyes brimming with
unshed tears.
“Why didn’t you come with us?” I forced the
words out, fearful of his answer.
“I’m embarrassed.” He started crying.
“Debby, I didn’t come because I didn’t want
to leave my stuffed animals.”
I sat there, stunned. “Your animals?” An
image of him hugging Ginger, his floppy-
eared calico dog, appeared in my mind’s eye.
“All these years, I told myself that something
was wrong with me for choosing toys over
my mother.” He cried openly, wiping away
tears with the back of his hand.
“Oh my God,” I said. “All this time, I thought
you were a better decision-maker, and there
was something inherently flawed in me to
have gone with her.”
We grieved for the children who carried
unnecessary guilt for so long. We exorcised
our ghosts, cleaned our wounds, and vowed
to ask more questions. That conversation
was the start of my healing journey and a
lesson in how the mind naturally creates
stories in the absence of knowledge. The
problem is that those stories are usually
wrong and don’t serve us.
In what ways have your stories held you
back? You know you were born to make
a difference in the world. You’ve done the
work to heal old wounds and yet something
(maybe more than one thing) keeps you
from achieving all you know you can. Some
of your beliefs—and stories—no longer
serve you. Begin today to write a new
ending to your story! Download my free
eGuide entitled, “12 Signs Your Beliefs
Are Weighing You Down.”
Deborah Kevin - Deborah loves helping visionary entrepreneurs
attract their ideal clients by tapping into and sharing their stories
of healing and truth. She’s a member of the Association of Writing
Professionals, Association of Ghostwriters, and the National
Association of Memoir Writers and the Associate Editor for Inspired
Living Publishing. Her passions include travel, cooking, hiking, and
kayaking. Visit www.DeborahKevin.com to learn more. Download her
free eGuide entitled, “12 Signs Your Beliefs Are WeighingYou Down.”
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