funfreeMe! inStaLLatIon I

funfreeMe (dana)

yEaH! I aM tHrEe!

Good Day All!
Here is a picture of me when I was 3 (my magic number)! I'm SOSOSOSOS happy to be alive & wearing my super favorite teal polka-dotted dress with matching pantalones! Can you imagine my horror when I went to play at my neighbor's house and I saw HER wearing my favorite outfit? MY MOM HAD GIVEN IT AWAY WITHOUT MY KNOWING IT! . . . those darn moms. . . 
I was reminded a couple of days ago during a certain unmentioned situation that there's a certain part of me that wants someone to miraculously swoop in (enter DRAMA) and take care of me--probably not a good idea, since I'm,  . . . well, let's just say I'm a grown woman, y'all.
So the picture above reminds me that the Dana who wants to be rescued or taken care of is a little girl part of me--you know, little d-dana--probably the part of me that maybe didn't learn how to to take care of myself so greatly (made up word!). So, the little d-dana thinks that she (I) needs to be rescued by someone else 'cuz she (I) doesn't believe she (I) can do stuff her(my)self.
Describing this to one of my besties, what I realize now is how important it is that I save myself and learn how to take amazing care of me! In other words, capital D-Dana needs to scoop up little d-dana, give her a big hug & a smoocher, and let her know that she's okay. All is well.
The little girl part of me that gets frightened needs to know that capital D-Dana is now in charge, and I can take care of both of us. Wow. Pretty intense, huh?
This quote really says it all:

Although all men share a common destiny,

each individual also has to work out

his personal salvation for himself.

We can help each other find the meaning of life,

but in the last analysis,

each is responsible for finding himself.

--Thomas Merton

So, rather than rescuing or taking care of everybody else, my journey has been leading me back to mySelf. After all, when I was three everything was amazing, and sometimes sad, and sometimes scary--but always okay. . . and no unnecessary made-up DrAmA. . . maybe the process of growing up means going back to living life through the eyes of a child, when everything is fresh, alive, and where we are intensely present to whatever life reveals to us. In other words,

All is well . . . really!

Lots of Love,

Dana & dana