When I was a child, one of my favorite things to do was to head outside into the woods, down the big hill to the brook. I would play in the leaves on the way down the hill. I would take notice of the big rock that lived in our front yard, just to the right of the path. I would head out into nature and, other than in the winter, inevitably find myself cleaning the brook. I don’t think I realized at the time, but looking back on these memories from my childhood I am now certain that being in nature and near, on, or in the water, brought my imagination to life and brought me peace as a child. It has continued to do so as an adult.

Thinking back, it sounds so strange to say that one of my favorite things to do as a kid was to clean our brook, but it surely was. Sitting here now, I can go right into my six year old memory bank and draw up the smell of the wet leaves, the raw Earth, mud, and dirt below my feet, and hear, clear as day, the babbling brook. I can feel the sunshine from above beaming down to warm my body, to warm my soul, and I can feel the moss covered stick in my tiny hand that I would use to clean the brook…to make sure that the water could flow effortlessly, beautifully, and even waterfall down at parts.

I would spend hours at a time, often losing track of time, sometimes on my own or sometimes with a friend or two. We would grab a good, strong stick nearby and then play in the brook, smiling and giggling as we used our sticks to pick out, pick up, and dislodge the large piles of wet leaves that had clogged up the waterfalls or other parts of the brook. There was something so satisfying about the work that was put in to clear those leaves, tend to the brook, and once again, see, hear, and enjoy the water flowing effortlessly. It was beautiful and it filled me up.

After all, if I didn’t clean the brook every so often, who would tend to it? Who would clear out the piles of leaves and mud that had built up to allow the brook to flow in peace? How would it flow so beautifully and effortlessly?

As this memory came to the forefront for me recently, it got me thinking. It got me thinking about our feelings and emotions and how, when left untended, they can wreak havoc on our mind, body, and spirit.

If we don’t acknowledge our feelings and emotions…anger, guilt, frustration, anxiety, fear, embarrassment…you know, all the big, bad, ugly ones…they have the ability to really “clog us up” and leave us feeling like a waterfall in my childhood brook that can’t flow because there are wet leaves and mud that have accumulated and disrupted its flow.

When we take the time to acknowledge how we are feeling, to acknowledge the emotions that are trying to surface, and then allow them to surface so that we can begin to make sense of them, gain awareness, let go, and grow, we feel lighter, free-er, and much more “in flow”.

So the next time you feel yourself shoving down your feelings and emotions…fear, guilt, frustration, anger…you name it…perhaps you will be reminded of my story of the brook. The brook that was given love and care and attention. The brook that was tended to, cleaned, and allowed to flow effortlessly. And perhaps you will choose to bring to the surface the feelings and emotions that NEED to be acknowledged in your body, mind, and soul so that you can do some internal clean up and get back “in flow”, feeling more at peace, a greater sense of calm, and experiencing the beauty that is self care and love.

It is not easy work to do, but I promise you, the work is worth it and most importantly, YOU are worth it.