There I sat, watching as joy and light emanated from the speaker. Suddenly a deep sadness came over me as I remembered another time and place.
“Stephanie, you always have a smile on your face! You’re just so happy.”
Another memory replaced that one — of teaching a class titled “Lighten Up.” I had been asked to teach it because they hoped my “fun approach to life” could help others.
Had I Really Forgotten?
In all honesty I had forgotten that this was even a part of me. After my third child, our family moved across the country. For whatever reason, I was not very well accepted in our new community. I had 3 more children and a pretty difficult personal journey. After a 5 year battle, I was…well…lost.
Sitting there listening to that speaker affected me deeply. I recognized that I had lost myself somewhere in the midst of all the pain, and I decided it was time to do something about it.
Making ME a Priority
Well. I got to work. I looked up EVERY reference to any word that I identified with in my core book (the book(s) that define my values — in my case that would be the King James Version of the Bible and The Book of Mormon.)
I looked up words like sister, mother, daughter, friend, wife, woman, womanhood, and such.
This was only the beginning, but a shift began to take place. Soon I was reading every book I could get my hands on that had to do with being a woman.
Healing Through Writing
And I spent a lot of time recording my thoughts. I don’t know what it is about writing (with pen in hand in my case), but direction and inspiration just comes.
I learned for myself that I am a beloved daughter of God. I discovered where I fit; I recognized my worth; I could finally see how important my part is in this world. I guess it was less that I discovered these things…and more that I remembered. I had simply forgotten who I was.
I was given vision and direction to strengthen my family and to help others strengthen their families as well.
Now It’s Your Turn
So how can we remember who we are?
I would strongly suggest spending some quiet time with yourself and God in a sacred space with your core book and a pen in hand.
Have you had any experiences with remembering who you are? What did you do to come to that place of peace?
Need some support to remember who you are? I would love to help.