My youngest daughter, Sasha, starts attending Washington State University as a 31 year old freshman this week.
Worry is not required, but as a recovering worrier, I worry about her.
One of the ways I heal myself, make myself more whole, is by making pilgrimages. Often on my pilgrimages, I find and walk labyrinths.
Pullman has a wonderful labyrinth on top of a hill with 100 mile vistas looking out over the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse.
Just before dawn, I walked the labyrinth each day I was in Pullman helping her move in. These insights came:
“A labyrinth is not a maze. You can’t get lost even when you don’t know where you are, which for me is most of the time. The labyrinth knows the way home. Just keep walking, putting one foot in front of the other.”
Therefore, I would be OK without my daughter. And she would be OK. The labyrinth that forms her life path knows where she’s going and will hold her. She’ll be OK.
The labyrinth predates Christianity and can be found all over the world. It has always served as a sacred journey. In the middle ages, the Catholic church wisely permitted the labyrinth walk to be used as a substitute for a pilgrimage to the holy lands.
Trace this labyrinth with your finger and you’ll feel the peacefulness and realize fully that you can’t get lost. The labyrinth knows the way. Even finger tracing will calm you.
You can use the http://labyrinthlocator.com/ to find one for yourself anywhere in the world.
Walk in beauty,
William
P.S. Consider becoming a member of Body & Soul Mentor. Why? Inspiration and information.
