During the week as I was 'stuck' I was instructed to write, to journal, and journal I did. Once I put pen to paper the words just flowed. I used the analogy of a band-aid to describe the way in which we deal with stuff. I felt my analogy was so powerful that I wanted to write a blog about it.
The band-aid has many options. The main purpose of any band-aid is to cover a wound and keep it clean in order for the wound to heal. Taking off a band-aid if it is really stuck can be very sore but we just have to rip it off, it may sting for a few seconds but then all will be well. Maybe the band-aid is one that is tight when applied and as the wound begins to heal the band-aid will loosen. As it loosens it is easier for us to take it off without feeling a sting. But then what if the wound is too deep that a band-aid cannot heal it? Maybe it is not a band-aid that the wound needs but stitches. A person, the same one who directed me to write, added to this by mentioning the puss of the wound needing to be cleaned in order to avoid infection before stitches are applied. A very good point I thought.
When we are dealing with hurts and pains we can apply a band-aid. At times the band-aid is needed to help us heal but then at other times, we apply the band-aid to cover the pain rather than deal with it. In those cases, the wound won't heal and will slowly eat away at us under the band-aid. Sometimes when pain is strong we need to rip off the band-aid in order to look at the pain and bring healing. But I do feel with certain things in life the band-aid needs to do a certain amount of healing before it is loose enough for us to take it off. Our bodies can get tired and weak as we deal with life's troubles and pains that when we discover another wound it needs to be held by the band-aid until we are able to look at it, work through it. And then at other times we apply the band-aid and find that the wound needs something stronger, the wound needs stitches in order to heal. So we have to remove the bandaid, clean the wound, work through our pains, and apply stitches in order to bring full healing. The stitches are the techniques that we use to help us heal, meditation, music, exercise or whatever works for you, being present. The band-aid often masks and holds so it is the avoidance techniques that we use. The burying ourselves in work or projects, drinking etc. Exercise can be a stitch and a band-aid. We can exercise to run from facing our hurts and pains (bandaid) or we can use exercise to release energy and help us to think more clearly so that we are free to feel (stitches). Counseling too can be a stitch, helping us to look at and deal with the pains of life, giving us the space to talk it out.
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