Rose Ariadne's Chitchcraft Blog

Dear friends,

I was in a store recently and overheard a couple of teenage girls (okay, they could have been pre-teen-it’s really hard to tell these days) talking about some of their trials and tribulations. At my age, they sounded petty. I resisted the urge to laugh, however, because I remember being 14, 15, 16 years old and thinking that it was simply the end of the world if the guy that I liked didn’t like me back or if my best friend and I were squabbling.

I have a dear friend whose child has a lot of health issues. Although she seeks the best medical care for her, she also uses a lot of healing rituals, homeopathic remedies, and other forms of “alternative” medicine to treat her child, too, proving that ancient and modern can work well together. The other day she was complaining about parents who act as though it’s the end of the world when their child has the flu or a cold, especially since her child has so many problems that aren’t that fixable.

I have been thinking about that a lot. I even meditated on it. What I have concluded, and granted I might be wrong, is that one person’s “worst” might not be the same as another person’s “worst” but that doesn’t mean that it’s still not bad. For a parent who has had a child pass away, the absolutely worst thing that has ever happened to them is the death of their child. But for a parent whose child was recently diagnosed with epilepsy, the worst thing for them is that their child might have seizures for the rest of their life. Now, the parent with the child’s death might argue that at least the epileptic child is still alive, but that really is like comparing apples to oranges in a sense. Our perception is usually limited by what we experience, no matter how open minded we are.

Thinking back about my teenagers that I saw at the store, even though their problems seem trivial to me-to them they were very real! In order for us to be accepting of other people, and to feel empathy and sympathy for them, we have to realize that while our experiences might vary, pain is always going to be real.

I wish I had known that when I was a lot younger. I think it would have made me a better person back then. That lead me to thinking about other things that I have learned over the years and how they have shaped me into becoming the person that I am on the pathway to being.

I can see that…

… no matter how much we wish to steer clear of drama, sometimes it will find us and thus it becomes necessary to deal with. It’s better to deal with it then so that it has few chances of returning then to bury your head and try to avoid it. Negative energy has a way of lingering.

… no matter how long you’ve known someone, at some point you will probably realize that until you’ve actually walked in their shoes, you can probably never really understand where they are coming from. We are made up of many things.

…regardless as to how much you might love your children, family, and friends, at some point in their lives they might have to choose another path, other priorities, and possibly even another family. We all have our own paths to walk and the best that you can do is offer your love and support.

…although we are aware of our flaws and attempt to work on them, there will always be those who will point them out to us in an ostensibly intimidating effort to hold us down. Remember that change is scary-not just for you, but for others as well. If you start to shift out of the “box” that others have even unconsciously placed you in, they might begin to put effort into getting you back into it. Try not to let others label you or identify you as something that’s not healthy for you. Do as much self-work as you desire, transform as you want, and be true to yourself.

…not everyone in your life is always meant to be in it. Sometimes, people are only around for short periods of time and that’s okay. Vacancies can open up new possibilities.

… occasionally, you will have a rare moment of hindsight that exposes some relationships in their accurate nature. You might be surprised that the casual friend you thought you had was actually a true confidante. Or that a close friend that you had for years wasn’t healthy for you. Life is full of surprises.

… forgiveness is not just for the other person, but for you as well. You are only responsible for your actions, not the actions of others.

… no matter how much time passes, you don’t miss your departed loved ones any less. Time heals, but it doesn’t take away.

… Life/Creator/Universe/Goddess/Natural Law has a way of bringing you what you need right when you need it.

… you absolutely cannot “make” anyone do anything. Our children included! All we can truly do is guide them, support them, love them and give them choices.

Brightest Blessings,
Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”