As I helped my kids get ready for back to school and gathered supplies for their upcoming year, I can’t help but think back to my childhood and the excitement I would feel getting new supplies, especially that brand new box of crayons.
There was something about the smell of cracking open that new box and the sight of the colors, all lined up, with perfect points, not yet touched, standing at attention, ready to go. It was exciting to hold one, unbroken and perfect, knowing that soon this point would dull, the paper might peel off, and the crayon just wouldn’t feel the same in your hand, as you color and create.
But, it was much more than just sensing the sight, smell, and feel of the crayons… it was the feeling behind the experience… the emotion it evoked. That feeling and emotion still come to the surface, as I open a new box of crayons now. Excitement and new beginnings are inside of each box. To this day, I can feel the feeling of my childhood and this experience.
When a feeling goes beyond our senses and we are seeing and hearing something much bigger… that is when we know our soul has been touched. That experience, which has sparked that feeling and created an emotion, is something that becomes a part of our energy and remains within us.
A perfect example is the feeling I get when I cook a pot roast and think of my grandma, now that she has passed. The smell of the pot roast cooking brings “Oma” into the room. And, it is not the just the smell. It is the feeling behind the smell… the love that went into her cooking. It is the way I would watch her smooth out every lump in the gravy and take pride in the way we reacted, as we took our first bite of her perfectly prepared meal. These memories and feelings make us feel safe and warm, as we remember the love and joy attached to the experience of our senses.
As a kid, being someone who loved to color and enjoyed art… I felt a certain comfort in seeing crayons as an item on a supply list. “If we need crayons… we are going to color,” was the safe assumption… even if it was just to color in states or countries on a map. Geography became less intimidating as the colors of the world came together, creating a beautiful visual and making the lesson much more interesting. Everything is better with a little color. Even certain math problems and science assignments… charts and tables, needing to be colored in… “take out your crayons” was a phrase that made any assignment more exciting. Crayons being used in ways that helped make the learning more… colorful, literally. I was hooked. It was most definitely my favorite back to school supply. A simple item made me feel less intimidated by subjects that didn’t grab my attention in the same way.
As Reiki practitioners, we become more and more aware that regular Reiki work can heighten our senses and make us feel more alive and connected to the world around us. But, we also know it is much more than just the senses, that brings this awareness. It is the feeling and emotions that are behind the senses, which help us, see and feel the bigger picture. We often work with clients and there might be a session that brings forward a memory, which triggers an emotion.
I am sure each one of us has certain triggers of our own. There can be foods that make you feel a certain way, sights that bring you peace, special places that make you feel connected to someone, a song that resonates so deep in your soul, that you can’t help but move when you hear it. Whatever sparks your senses and whatever your memories are, you can feel those feelings even more deeply, by taking time to connect with your energy. They are in there… the memories… the joy and happiness they hold, the comfort and warmth they bring. They are yours forever. When you feel down or are going through a rough time, you can call on that energy and work with it, in ways that can help you move forward.
That is the magic of Reiki.
As the years go by and you get into higher grades, crayons soon become an item no longer on the supply list. I noticed that this year, neither of my kids needed them anymore for school. They need locks for their lockers; thumb drives to collect data, scientific calculators and other “bigger kid” items. I don’t know if they noticed, or if they have the same happy emotional connection to crayons. I know they are finding the color in their own lives, as it is meant to be in their experience.
What memories bring color to your life? Take time to connect with those feelings and experience that joy and happiness all over again. It’s in your energy and will be there forever, no matter what your age.
Keep on coloring.
