November 3

”Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them in with your favorite colors.” Khalen Hosseini

My recovery has required reflection on my childhood. It is a search for the events or simply the atmosphere in which I was raised that influenced how I grew up. It is an exercise in determining the “colours” that were applied to direct my choices and maturity. It is also an opportunity to identify the major events, negative and positive that have shaped my world. Although there is nothing I can do to change my upbringing, I can certainly benefit from looking at the snapshots of the past and gaining understanding of those who had an effect on my life. I can also ask adult explanations of people for things that I remember which may not quite be recalled exactly as they happened. So I do have opportunities to change my colored-view of the past. This knowledge helps me to move forward mostly by allowing me closure for old wounds, to forgive and let go of events from the past that have weighed me down for years. It allows me to turn over those chapters of my life and to look for the lessons to apply to my present.

Affirmation May I have the courage to examine my past, close old wounds, and free myself from some baggage to allow me freedom to be more present today.