Symbol of Gratitude

During a recent project I was reminded of why I do what I do. Even though this satisfaction happens often, this time the result was especially rewarding. We had worked together for several weeks slogging through rows of boxes, unearthing treasures buried in a storage space for the last 20 years. Besides being an emotionally draining experience, it was also triumphant. Every time we worked together the pile of boxes dwindled, items found their loving home, or, if they didn't spark joy, they were sent away for another person to enjoy. Before one of our sessions together, she came across a box of random items in one of the last rooms we unpacked; it was packed to the gills with office supplies, paperwork, and precious mementos. As she was digging through, she came across an item that had been passed between she and her daughters, a red stone heart. Initially she ran through her strategy, do I want this item? Do I have an attachment to it? Does it bring me joy? Is this a keepsake for the girls, or for me? As she ran through the list, she glossed over what had brought her to this place, and how far she'd come. She knew just what to do.

We were finally nearing the end of the project. On one of our last days of our work together we gathered around the island in the kitchen, throughout the life of the project this had become a ritual for us. Carving out time before we started our day was beneficial, we could hash out the details of the previous day, celebrate what had been accomplished, and plan for next steps. It also transformed into a time to discuss other topics not directly related to the project, however achieving a peace of mind affected it.

After we wrapped up our meeting, we walked into the last room that had become our makeshift staging area for odds & ends, she was a few steps ahead of me. As I entered the room she came to the door and put something in my hand, it was the red, stone heart. With tears in her eyes she shared with me the impact I had on her life, and how happy she was with all we had accomplished. She wanted me to have the heart as a symbol of her love and light in me. I was touched, I couldn't stop the tears from welling up in my eyes.

As she spritzed the heart with her favorite scent, she asked me to find a sacred place for the heart, and to not let it go. How could I? This is bringing ME joy ;)