“It’s ok. Take off your shoes.”
You are never fully prepared to say goodbye to your mother.
While I had seen her soul thrive in some ways in her later years, I also had a front-row seat to watch the process of a body aging out. At 92, I held her hand as she took her last breath and my heart ached.
Her wake was truly joyful, filled with people whose lives she touched as they paid their respects and shared stories of her timeless beauty and bold sense of humor.
She had the last laugh as the funeral service ended and we were preparing to proceed to the grave site. As the heavens opened to receive her, she took her time going in and allowed herself to slip through the most torrential thunder and lightning-filled downpour I can remember. It was coming down so fast and furious that the ground couldn’t even begin to soak up all the water.
However, as we arrived drenched at the cemetery, there was a break in the rain. Even though I have always been all about tradition and respect, I was utterly compelled to go barefoot. I needed to feel the ground beneath my feet, the wet grass cushioning, the mud between my toes connecting me to the earth, rooting me.
There was no voice saying, “WHAT are you doing, Suzanne?!?!”, only “It’s ok. Take off your shoes.” So, off they came and I squished and splashed my way to the graveside service.
The tradition of walking barefoot and directly connecting to natural electrical charge is called Earthing or Grounding. This scientifically-proven practice stabilizes us physiologically at the deepest levels but also helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help to improve focus and concentration and increase feelings of calm and well-being.
And in responding to that inner voice to kick off my shoes, I never felt so strong or grounded in my life. As my mother’s body became one with the earth, I did not feel alone, but rather connected to her. We were once again one.
Maybe that’s why one of my favorite things to do is walk in the grass after a thunderstorm. As barefoot as I was born, I reconnect with Mother Earth, my mom, and all who have passed, to the ground divinely orchestrated by my Father in one-ness with all things.
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