In a world currently overwhelmed with social media, digital advances, and fast-paced living, we sometimes race straight past Present and head towards an unknown Future. I admit to the above and, as such, decided to create Sunday SoulJourn as a reminder that life is not a race; it’s a journey.
Join me every Sunday as I reflect, ponder, and contemplate topics that tend to get overlooked as we sprint through life.
9 August 2015: Caught Up In My Dreams
I dream big but live small, wound in a cocoon surrounded by a self-constructed protective bubble. Since toddler age, I gained value and purpose from artistic interests and talents. However, I held on to them as treasures, not believing that they could sustain me on a professional, financial, or realistic level. I enjoyed my creative ventures, finding solace and motivation from them, so that was enough…or so I thought.
Almost a decade in to genealogy research and I consistently discover inspiring stories, lessons to be learned, and ancestors whose struggles I can’t emulate but can appreciate. When drafting this week’s Sunday SoulJourn entry I sat in silence, pen in hand, and listened to the spirits that came before – not in a “quick-call-the-doctor-she’s-hearing-voices” kind of way, mind you.
I closed my eyes and imagined the settings, hardships, and events of my ancestral lineage. I could visualize myself stepping off the boat onto the American coast, a mixture of fear and excitement intermingling. I could see the dirt and sweat on the faces of the coal miners who worked in perilous conditions day in and day out. As my body relaxed, I watched an eagle take flight from the arm of a Native chief and listened to the Celtic flute in an Irish pub.
The bubble that surrounded me dissolved like ash, and I opened my eyes to a world full of possibilities. I’m moving forward, and as I do, I blend artistic dreams and career goals. As I travel with the spirits of those who journeyed before me, I’m catching up to my dreams, one step at a time.
Kelly Deeny 