Unpacking Boxes

Not unlike unpacking boxes, she recognized that the events of her life had been stored in boxes, labeled with a concise narrative of the event.

Inside each box were additional boxes. Much like nesting Russian dolls, each additional box had its own label: emotion, mental, physical, sometimes even spiritual. All the layers of an experience packed neatly into boxes.

Not unlike relocating a home from one place to another, we often abandon some boxes here and there, deeming them no longer important or worthy of our attention and energy. Maybe we have outgrown them in some way—they no longer fit our beings, too short, too small, too big. Or maybe we decide to not even open the box and explore its contents because the label on the box explains it all.

A rushing of memories, sensations, and feelings that are simply not accessible to us for whatever reason. We might choose to walk away, toss that box aside, post it on OfferUp with the hope that someone else might just take it away. Sometimes, that box gets tucked back into a corner—dark, safe, out of the way. Forgetting that it is taking up space, we go on “living” each day without giving it as much as a glance or thought.

Until that one move, where the space no longer can hold all of your things—it is just simply a smaller container and you must purge. In the process of purging, you recognize the potential for truly clearing out and letting go. As you start to unpack your boxes, you notice the correlation of letting go of material items and emotional blocks. The nesting Russian dolls keep opening to reveal yet another layer of experience. The old habits of tucking each experience neatly inside of each other, wrapping them into a protective barrier to protect their fragility, and placing them into the corner of the garage—no longer serve you.

Finally, you are in a safe space to unpack those fragile, complicated boxes. You are now curious as to what potential treasure is nestled into each box. There is an essence of relief as you start down this path, as you know that contentment and joy follow the unpacking and releasing. You know that the pain that resides in your body is an opportunity to heal.

She is ready to let the unpacking begin.

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