The Reckoning: A Poem

You knew a reckoning was coming. It wasn’t an if, it was a when.

The tears stream when you finally allow yourself to slow. Oh, how you have lost the full picture of who you are.

You’ve known for some time now that you were losing yourself. But you couldn’t find the time to find yourself.

The when has arrived. A snowy Friday morning in February.

Holding it all together through white-knuckling. Pushing down the emotions that occasionally threatened.

Waking up early to put in your hours. Staying up late to put in the extra.

Focus and grit and determination have been your companions. Health and friends and loved ones have not.

Not because they haven’t tried. They have. But, because you needed to focus on turning the ship.

You’ve known all along this was a short-term solution. There are times when you relinquish balance.

Another kind of balance is now due. Your soul is beckoning and it needs you now.

The parts of you that you put on a shelf temporarily. Those parts of you need to be reintegrated.

You’ve been here before. You’ve felt this pain. You knew it was coming. Are you going to lean in?

You’ve leaned into the overwork. You’ve leaned into the isolation.

You’ve leaned into putting the rest of your life on hold. Now it’s time to lean back into the whole of your life.

What is happening now? You knew it was coming. This time you are choosing not to shame yourself. You didn’t like the choices you were making, but you were conscious of them.

There are times in life where imbalance happens. This time you chose it and you knew there would be consequences.

Even with that consciousness, it is easy to slip. Old patterns are given time to reemerge.

Those old patterns wanting to make themselves at home again. Not this time.

You chose to push and you knew there would be consequences. Now you are facing those and you’re not going to let them go unchecked.

You made a choice to put in the extra hours. Now, you are making a choice to get back to your ideal balance.

No shaming or self-loathing this time. Instead, only compassion and love.

Precious one, you pushed hard. You did the work that was asked of you.

Now it is time to allow all parts of yourself to return. Now it is time to reintegrate to the full and true you.

Your soul is beckoning and it needs you now. Go now, and answer the call to return to beautiful you.

You learn your lessons, even when they seem like repeats. The truth is that you have upleveled.

Job well done. You continue to learn and grow. Rest now.

Allow the tears. Allow the love. Allow the lessons to permeate your being.

Allow those who want to hold and support. Allow the universe to hold and support.

Unclench your fists. Breathe deeply. Rest. Trust. Welcome home.