“If you had a sad childhood, so what? You can dance with only one leg and see the snowflake falling with only one eye.”

~ Robert Bly

There was a dog in my neighborhood years back that had three legs. All the people (and maybe the dogs, too) would watch in awe at how happy Tripod was, how he’d stumble sometimes and get right back up when chasing after the ball. He came to be the local dog celebrity.

We all have scars from life. Some we see, and some we don’t, but we carry these scars around with us and often they become like lead filled bags that we lug around. We often allow our trouble to follow us wherever we go, wearing our scars like badges of honor, carrying heaviness around with us that we truly don’t need to carry anymore.

We can work towards dropping some of those bags, lightening our loads, walking a little lighter, choosing to dance with our canes, rather than merely using them as walking sticks.

We can grow towards being more like Tripod, The Three Legged Dog, happily getting right back up after we stumble.

> Bring to mind a scar that you carry around.

> Honor its power and why it’s heavy.

> Identify the cane you use to help you walk, rather than dance, and see if you can loosen your hold on it.

> Breathe.

> Breathe deeply, again.

> Turn on your favorite song, dance a little, even if only for a few seconds, or tap your foot.

> Put a smile on your face knowing there’s only one you.

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 Ed: Bryonie Wise