I will admit I wish I was a better listener. It is an under - rated tool - one that could help me if I had a better handle on it.
We all take listening for granted. Whether listening to your boss go through yet another explanation of how he wants something done to a teen who has turned off his listening ear long before his mother started speaking - for the most part, when listening - we are on auto pilot.
There is also an internal type of listening which we treat with about the same respect as our external listening. It can warn us of danger, and other issues related to health, both physical and emotional. Sometimes it comes and you know, you need to pay attention.
Mine came this weekend in the form of needing a good cry. I am not a cry baby, far from it. In fact, I can't tell you the last time I did cry but I can remember how I felt afterwards. By the time I am in in a full-blown cry, there is a sense of relief and wellness. It is like a weight has been lift off my shoulders and there is a feeling of a good kind of emptiness. With DH working everyday since the beginning of September, there has been a sense of being brave and Buck up little camper but I have seen signs of oozing emotions. There is nothing I can do to change the situation but I had never thought about a good cry. Not sure how to speed the process along but now that I am aware, it should come naturally in its own time.
We use our ears to listen to music which can make the spirit soar and can bring that same soul, to the point of sobbing. Whether listening to a friend who needs a place to vent, or reading the true vibe in a child's story, the art of listening may be our most important resource. Think back to times when you felt someone heard you, really heard you. For me, those times made me feel validated. I was happy as a result of being thoroughly and completely, heard. Can't imagine that listening to our bodies would not bring the same results.
So when my good cry comes, I will be ready. Actually, I am looking forward to it. Not necessarily from a sad event, I have had times where I was laughing so hard, it turned to big tears. If that is the case, I can hardly wait...
