Fox and the Grapes
Welcome and thank you for sharing your time with me today in this Healing Reflection, where you can come NEAR grief and move toward healing.
Set an intention to look for sweet on days where sour seems to be all around.
NOTICE
Think about what is happening today and notice if there is anything that feels sweet to you. If nothing comes to mind, could a hot bubble bath with lit candles, a warm piece of apple pie, a cup of ice tea, or something else feel sweet? Grief can cause so much to feel sour. What is it like to try to find at least one sweet place to put your focus? Notice this experience without judgment. You may not feel like looking for the sweet moments today. I encourage you to consider maybe tomorrow is a day where you can find the sweet spots.
EMOTIONS
How do you feel right now? If your emotion were a color, what color would it be? What shape would it form? And would it have a texture, temperature or move? Imagine the emotion that you feel right now with these details. As you sit with this image, if you are comfortable, put one hand on your heart. Now cross the other hand over this arm. Allow yourself to feel the warmth of your arms across your chest. Now very slowly, alternate tapping your left and right hand. Try a rhythm like this: left … right … left … right. Hold that image in your mind as you tap your hands for 15 seconds, slowly. (15 seconds later).
Notice if that image has changed. What do you notice? Before we go to the action step, take a deep breath in, allow your belly to rise, and when you are ready, exhale slowly. Do that one more time, Breathe in . . . let your belly rise, and exhale slowly while allowing your shoulders to relax.
ACTION
The action today is another Aesop Fable, listen and allow yourself to be fully in this moment as you hear the tale of the Fox and Grapes.
‘The Fox and the Grapes
One hot summer’s day a fox was strolling through an orchard when he came to a bunch of grapes that were ripening on a vine, hanging over a lofty branch. ‘Those grapes are just the things to quench my thirst,’ said the fox. Drawing back a few paces, the fox took a run and a jump, but just missed the bunch of grapes. Turning round again he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again the fox tried to jump up and reach the juicy grapes, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying: ‘Oh well, I am sure they are sour anyway.’
What is the moral of the fable of the fox and the grapes? It is easier to despise what you cannot get. This fable gave rise to the common expression ‘sour grapes’, which, although often used to denote any sour or bitter mood, can also more specifically denote the idea of having liked something, which one has gone off (turned sour, if you will) because one is unable to obtain it.
REFLECT
Reflect on if you feel resistance about finding anything sweet. Are you able to embrace this idea? What happens when you sit with this question? If you are not there today, maybe tomorrow will be the day where you can find some sweet moments. Thank you again for listening. I hope you have a beautiful day.
Note: The audio's background music ("Our Beautiful Project") is provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com. Images provided by Canva.