Healing my inner child (seen here on the left) has been bringing up both joy and sadness. Like the Disney movie Inside Out explains, these emotions are inextricably linked.
I’ll be honest, the tears feel awkward and I’m trying 
to give myself time and space to let them flow. However, life moves on and there’s always something or someone that needs my attention.
After waking her up to show her the life we’ve built, now she’s a part of my daily awareness. Her sadness isn’t gone. It still sneaks in to surprise me despite my best efforts to contain it to “appropriate” times and spaces, like therapy and my morning meditation.
I’ve been showing her my Boat analogy, the tool I’ve been developing since 2008 to heal and learn about myself in body, mind, and soul. Like me, it’s a work in progress 
and it continues to show the parts of me that are evolving and healing.
Talking to Little Pam has taught me that what she wants most of all is to be seen and accepted. She needs to feel like she belongs, even through the tears and grief. Sharing this story with you is my conscious effort to give her what she needs. Like giving her a virtual hug through the Internet 
this way we all get something worthwhile from it. 
If you’re doing the work, healing yourself, despite a sometimes terrifying and distracting world, please know you’re not alone. This is sacred work, stepping into the unknown, asking our Captain for help and speaking the truth to ourselves and others.
I’m combining wisdom from my Captain and Little Pam as I work on writing a new book to share the analogy with help from my book coach and editor, Maggie. 
My friend, Mary, is doing the illustrations. I’m so grateful to have such generous and talented people on my team. I know it’s going to be gorgeous.
Sending you lots of love and hugs 
“The work of a mature person is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other and be stretched large by them. How much sorrow can I hold? That’s how much gratitude I can give.” Francis Weller.