There's a man down the street that lives in this old Victorian, covered in vines, and reminding me of Madeline. The turret has a window, but a long time ago the glass pane broke. The man never repaired it, leaving it susceptible to the world outside. Every time it rains the water gets in. Without the glass it lacks the ability to experience and feel the outside without becoming hurt and damaged. As time goes on and more rain comes and goes the water continues to come in. Each drop collecting on the wooden floorboards, forming mold, forming mildew, eating away at that house.
What was once glorious is now falling apart. The porch has seen better days. The man doesn't weed nor does he mow his grass. Times got really tough for the man and he was having problems dealing with it all... all this emotional turmoil building up. A metaphor between him and his home starting to develop. One day a man knocked on his door, offering to help him out in exchange for housing, the old man terrified of asking friends or family for help or assistance, agreed.
(both photos were taken by me on a jaunt through my neighborhood)
The man that moved in to help is like an eating disorder and the home is like each of our bodies. Homes house important things like our heart and our mind. Yet, sometimes, we get caught up and do not take proper care. We fail to realize that the body that might cause us grief or be what we perceive to be the reason for self-loathing also does many other things, regardless of its size or its shape - it allows us to hold others, to be held (if it were not there, there would be nothing to hold), it allows us to smell bon fires in the fall, to hear the crackling of the leaves under your feet which allow you to walk, it allows us to show love to significant others in a variety of ways, it allows us live.
You should embrace self love and love the one you're with - yourself.
"When you ignore your belly, you become homeless. You spend your life trying to erase
your own existence." Geneen Roth
your own existence." Geneen Roth
(to find out more about the self-love movement visit Voice in Recovery!)
oh and I still haven't heard from HollyT -- email me if you're reading this!
Such a good analogy. I'm the queen of taking care of others, but tend to neglect myself. Good reminder!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love your gorgeous neighborhood and the Geneen Roth quotes - one of my faves!
ReplyDelete