I just watched a movie I’ve seen 4 or 5 times. A big-city doctor is driving through states to rendezvous with her 5 year boyfriend for a weekend escape, and is pulled over for speeding. The small town she’s stopped in has the local judge sentence her to 3 days community service since she’s a doctor. The judge, essentially the town’s leader, is the town’s doctor as well. He pulls her in to basically see if she’d be willing to take on this role since he discloses to her that he’s got cancer, and has told noone else. It’s a heart-warming story.
While watching it, my stomach twisted some. Like tears wanted to drop freely, but—something scared me. Letting these tears fall meant…that some things may be left behind. I allowed this stomach twisting, but I finally let go. The whole movie’s plot was about how she was being invited to let go of her normal city life and values and allow her heart to blossom. She softened, and so did I.
I wondered while watching it "do I want to do this myself (let go of old baggage and beliefs)? Part of me fought, the fearful part, and I still sit with these questions.
Old ways:
Holding old emotion inside
Keeping away from people, caring people too
Insulating myself living alone
Basically just demotivating myself by imagining failure in any pursuit
New ways (I’m going to make these up, as I don’t look for them regularly)
Being open with my expressions and emotions (holding this in hurts)
Believing someone actually believes in me
Believing in myself–this is missing in my life
Believing I’m loveable
Loving someone else
Feeling complete, yet choosing to spend time with others
Letting go of old cemented ways and beliefs
Allowing others to see me fully–no pretenses
Allowing the separation of my past from my current reality
Knowing happiness is possible
Having faith in small miracles and maybe big ones
Learning to trust vs. fear when unknown possibilities surface
Listening for God’s whispers to me
That stomach tightening happened while writing those last sentences.
I desire the latter. I’m heading that way.
BTW, after realizing her city life was not what she really wanted and her fiance was not who she really loved, she returned to the small town since she’d fallen for an intelligent gentleman country boy. This happened when she listened to her heart.