You are the place where I stand, on the day when my feet are sore.~Irish saying translated by poet and theologian Pádraig Ó TuamaSore Feet, Sore Heart, Sore Head I love this saying… “you are the place I stand… when my feet are sore.” I used to think to myself, I’m un’comfortable,’ meaning that I was not able to be comforted. And I felt I was too far gone to be able to find solace from my sadness. Mostly, I didn’t know that I deserved to be comforted when I was ‘sore.’ I thought it was just how life went. As I got older, and learned that there are places, people, thoughts… that I can visit… “when my feet are sore” that will help me feel better. I hope you find yours sooner than I did! If we are lucky, we have such a ‘place.’ It may be family, a friend, a place (I am comforted by water), a memory… anything that fills that hole in our hearts. Finding Some hurts are short-lived, like sore feet. If we take some extra rest or visit with someone who makes us laugh; things will improve. This quote suggests that there are people who can act as a salve or balm to cradle the soreness to healing. Do you have someone like this? Some hurts leave permanent scars/holes. Everything I try: ignoring it, talking about it, not talking about it, feeling the feelings, not feeling them, therapy, etc. helps a little but the scar is still there. The hole, on the other hand, can be filled. All the things I tried to make the scar go away, actually help fill the hole. Scars are reminders, they don’t go away completely, but they fade. Filling the Hole Some of us fill the hole with things that can be self-defeating. Too much… eating, drinking alcohol, drugs, leaning on relationships too much; anything can become a problem. But more than comfort, we need a stable place of trust to put our feet, to support our journey, when another step feels impossible. May you find your comforts early and visit them whenever your feet are sore. Image credit: Tilt Shift Lens Photography
In my professional life, I never had a job that someone had before me. I didn't look for that, it just happened. I love to read and be outdoors. I have been in marketing for several years but I also have been a teacher, run an information center, licensed a biological product from the Cornell Biotech Institute and brought it almost all the way to market. I like to speak publicly and am a published poet. I work hard to listen to people and be concise in my answers. Looking forward to getting to meet lots of interesting people.
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