Exiting the Dark Tunnel

There are times when the heart takes a beating.  When the soul feels battered and our minds seem un-anchored and are set adrift among confusion. We seek solace from friends and family or maybe we pull away from them instead.  We try to think deeply and read between the blurred lines of a heated argument or conversation; maybe we try to remember what was said and who said it.  Maybe, we remember all too clearly exactly what happened. 

We don’t sleep; we don’t eat properly, or maybe we sleep and each too much. Either way, we soon feel lost, weak and tired on top of everything else.  We may even overcompensate by taking on too many new challenges or perhaps we do absolutely nothing at all.  Sadness, depression, loneliness and heartbreak; worrisome things each one.  They even feed on each other, like cannibalistic piranhas.    

Trying to fight our way past it is daunting.  It’s like finding ourselves in an endless black tunnel and seeing this pinpoint of light at the end of it.  No matter how long you walk towards the light you never seem to be getting closer.  Sometimes we don’t even see the light at all.

There are no magic words to whisk it all away.  No special series of actions that will erase this in a blink of an eye.  Yes, there is prayer and meditation and they WILL HELP but it will take a concerted effort to work our way out of that tunnel.  We must pick up the pieces of our lives and bit by bit find our way out of that dark place and it will take a persistent pace and a deep self surviving desire to get ever closer to that light.  It can be done.

I have a few friends and family that are going through various stages of these dark emotions.  My heart cries for you.  I understand that pain.  Face it, we've all been through it at some point of our lives.  The duration for each person is as varied as the catalysts that cause them.  Some of us have remained in that dark place longer than others; some of us never really have come out of it and are ever so slowly making progress.  There are even a few who don’t know they are in the tunnel.  They’re walking aimlessly.

I’m here to say, don’t give up.  Don’t stop working to understand your pain.  Don’t ignore it or pretend it’s not there.  Look at it, see it as a black mass of snarled string and then slowly but surely unravel the pieces as you grasp onto the knowledge that you ARE stronger than you think.  Use prayer and meditation to help you focus and reset your heart, mind and soul back onto a path of peace.  This is where faith comes into play. 

If you know someone who is struggling, reach out to them.  They may or may not want to talk but don’t give up on them.  If they want to talk, then just listen.  You may not have and do not have to offer any sage advice; they may just need you to listen.  Be there for them; after all, wouldn't you want someone to be there for you?  We are our brother’s keeper.  It takes a village to raise a child and we are all in this together.  Clichés?  Over used sayings?  Maybe, but that doesn't make them any less true.

If you are struggling with something, don’t give up on yourself.  Know that you are loved and that you can get through this.  Don’t be afraid to seek comfort through a long and deep discussion with God through prayer; you can cry, laugh and talk to Him just as if He were sitting right next to you.  There is a saying that says let go and let God.  I believe that is true.  It means to let God guide you and when He does, you must make every effort to take those steps toward the path of healing that He presents to you.  And that guidance may come through talking to a friend, a family member – or even a professional care giver. 

May the peace of heaven fall down upon you like rain and drench you with the strength to continue your journey out of the dark tunnel of despair.

<3 Always & Peace ∞
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