Baggage claim

Healing isn't
a one-time thing
It isn't a place
you go to visit,
not a weekend trip
away from home
or a play date
with your neighbour's dog
(even though that's kinda fun)
Healing is treating your body
as you would a fresh wound
blessing it with water and patience
Cleaning it so it won't get infected
Nurturing it with the utmost
tenderness and affection
Like carrying a newborn child
from one embrace to another
Or helping a ladybird
stroll across the edges of your fingertips,
on its way back home
Healing is putting trust
in your feelings and experiences
Making space
for memories you thought you had forgotten
- or didn't realize you needed
It's listening to your body
so that you can hear it breathe
Learning the difference between
your heartbeat
and hunger
Healing is questioning knowledge
and being susceptible to inner conflicts
that force you to change
and be changed
into something better
Healing is a way
of getting to know yourself
with and without pain.