by Steph Zabel
What is remembering?
As I’ve ponder this question over the past several days, the
following thoughts have come to me…
Remembering is a return to wholeness and truth: a wholeness
of self, of spirit, of place in the world. When we remember who we are, why we
are here, and how we relate to the world around us, these remembrances — these
truths — infuse our lives with richness and radiate outwards to all the lives
around us.
I think that remembering must also paradoxically involve
forgetting… For instance:
When we remember that all human beings, of all backgrounds
and beliefs, deserve love, dignity and compassion, we forget why we would ever
close our hearts to another, especially others in need.
When we remember that we are dependent upon all the
resources given to us by the earth for our survival, we forget that we could
ever do harm to the natural world.
When we remember that we are Beloved, we forget any sense of
loneliness, unworthiness or fear.
How can we remember?
Our own personal remembrances must be felt and embodied for
them to become true for us as an individual.
For me, remembering comes by being in nature. Remembering
comes by being surrounded by beauty. It comes when I express my heart and when
I open my heart to another’s expressions. Remembering comes in moments of
stillness.
And with remembering comes the forgetting, where we can
forget our old selves, old patterns and old beliefs that simply fall away.
Remembering is a balm to the spirit that helps us find the way to our true
selves, and our place of wholeness within the world.
I remember so that I can forget that which is untrue… and I
forget so that I can remember that which is true.
Steph Zabel is an herbalist and botanical educator. Through
her work she offers practical herbal classes and holistic wellness sessions. As
the founder of Herbstalk, a community based herbal event, she helps create
accessible educational opportunities for all plant enthusiasts in the Boston area, at www.flowerfolkherbs.com.
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