Do you take the time to pause and reflect on life’s lessons? Do you tend to grip to the stories that life has somehow changed you, -OR- do you tend to ignore or bury the past? In parable five of Girl in the Woods, Timberella returns to the site of destruction and considers her way forward.
Revisiting the Past
In our story, Timberella is inspired by numerous songbirds. After learning that she is not alone in her experience--and that others can benefit from her using her voice so that they know they are not alone--she decides to return to the “crash site:” the place of her fallen, broken nest.
The Giving Tree | Jodi Rose Gonzales
Take a moment to consider a Storm that you have weathered. Did you learn from the experience? Do you carry shame, blame, or guilt? Were you left feeling stronger or empowered, or do you try to forget that it ever happened?
Want to read this uplifting story in its entirety? Get there parables HERE.
Overcoming the Storm
First, she reconsiders all of her lessons: she has a gift; to avoid black-and-white thinking and/or victimhood; that she has a voice; she is not alone. She makes the distinction between learning from her fall, versus lamenting that she is no longer home. She embraces the Great Storm not as something that changed her, but as something that facilitated her reaching deep—ultimately informing her to become more of herself.
ART & JOURNAL Prompts
Here are questions for consideration:
• Which of life’s storms have ultimately taught you the most?
• Is it time to revisit the past—or is this something to be avoided? What informs the avoidance?
• What kind of encouragement or support would help you?
• If you had a songbird on your shoulder, what message do you need to hear?
• Are you the voice of wisdom for someone else in need? Have you reached out to them? What gesture would be most helpful?
ART PROMPTS: Draw an intact nest, or create a nest-like sculpture. Draw or place something representative of yourself in that nest (if you are in a leadership position, this might represent a committee or organization).
Journal with the image/object, asking:
--What wisdom does it have to share?
--What 1-3 specific actions can you take to grow from a challenging event?
--Alternatively, if you are the support for another/others, the object in the nest might represent the group. Ask: What 1-3 specific actions are most helpful for this person/people?
--Finally, ask the artwork: Does it have anything else to share? Answer these questions with your non-dominant hand.
Timberella 3 | Fine Art Print
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Be compassionate!
In the final scene of parable five, Timberella vows to maintain the crash site: not because she can’t let go of the past, but because she understands that the site is one to be held with reverence. Whatever storms you may have endured, remember: try to take in the teachings. If that is too painful, try instead to hold yourself with compassion.
Jodi Rose Gonzales ATR, NCC, ERYT, YACEP was recently celebrated in Times Square as the International Association of Top Professional’s Global Impact Artist of the Year. She is an artist, art therapist, author and yoga teacher who inspires her audiences through art and teachings intended to spread more hope and healing throughout the world. Get a FREE copy of the Girl in the Woods Parables, which explore the wisdom teachings associated with each of the six Timberellas, HERE.