My Dad was in World War II and he has a slew of medals to show for it. He never really talked about it in any detail with me until the last few years of his life. We would sit in his kitchen and he would tell me stories of his escapades in France or about his buddies who fell in battle. He told me about the weight he felt on his shoulders being a leader in the field and how he hated every single minute of being in a war. He had a job to do though, so he did it, and when he got home he wanted to put it behind him, but he never really could. My Dad said that a lot of the memories still haunted him and he told me about choices he had to make that he said no man should.
There was a lot I didn't understand about my father as I was growing up that I came to understand much later. I couldn't interpret his behavior toward me very easily and it wasn't until those years at the kitchen table that I really got to know him well. And I got to know him because we had truth between us. I could finally tell him how I felt about pivotal events in my life and it seemed like he was really ready to listen. He may have been before that, but for whatever reason, it just never worked as well for us as it did in those years. It was a real gift to me that he was willing to share his experiences as well as his thoughts and feelings about them. He was a man who didn't show a lot of emotion, but there were times that every feeling was written on his face and reflected in his eyes. I cherish those times.
I feel healthiest when I am most authentic because that means I am operating from my strongest self. When I know something, really know it in my bones, I can move forward with confidence and a sense of self-assurance that gives me momentum, power and strength. When I speak my truth I am clear and unencumbered, and I share who I am with honesty and clarity. When others share their truth I feel connected with them and joined together in a special bond. I am stronger when I speak my truth by communicating honestly and without fear. Is that easy? Heck no, but it's another one of those goals I keep in mind because truth can be a great elixir capable of healing some of that old emotional stuff I carry around inside me. And if I can do some healing from the inside out, that's probably a good idea, and I think my Dad would agree!
There was a lot I didn't understand about my father as I was growing up that I came to understand much later. I couldn't interpret his behavior toward me very easily and it wasn't until those years at the kitchen table that I really got to know him well. And I got to know him because we had truth between us. I could finally tell him how I felt about pivotal events in my life and it seemed like he was really ready to listen. He may have been before that, but for whatever reason, it just never worked as well for us as it did in those years. It was a real gift to me that he was willing to share his experiences as well as his thoughts and feelings about them. He was a man who didn't show a lot of emotion, but there were times that every feeling was written on his face and reflected in his eyes. I cherish those times.
I feel healthiest when I am most authentic because that means I am operating from my strongest self. When I know something, really know it in my bones, I can move forward with confidence and a sense of self-assurance that gives me momentum, power and strength. When I speak my truth I am clear and unencumbered, and I share who I am with honesty and clarity. When others share their truth I feel connected with them and joined together in a special bond. I am stronger when I speak my truth by communicating honestly and without fear. Is that easy? Heck no, but it's another one of those goals I keep in mind because truth can be a great elixir capable of healing some of that old emotional stuff I carry around inside me. And if I can do some healing from the inside out, that's probably a good idea, and I think my Dad would agree!
Love this post in many ways. Love you!
ReplyDeleteKathleen