Being Symbolic

I was sitting outside this morning and looking at my water bottle. I ‘borrowed’ it from my son (sorry, Alex) because I thought it was joyful. It‘s bright yellow and works well to carry and drink from. It has this cool handle which I started using as a place to display some tokens that used to be on a bag that I carried when I drove to work. I do not drive much now, so I now have all these things available when I move from room to room or outside to inside or even in the car, if I have to drive (*gasp*). The interesting thing about these items is that other than my minty lipgloss from B & B and some cuticle lotion (a story for another day), the rest are nonsense…to anyone else. But to ME they mean the WORLD. And now they are with me all the time! They include:

• A tiny carabiner that I got at a church event years ago that remind me of some special friends, Ang & Jenna

• A ring with a tree in pattern of Kandinsky’s “Square with Concentric Circles” to remember my days of teaching

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• A dreamcatcher from a favorite place, Knoebels, which holds many special memories

• An anchor locket, my favorite symbol of God; “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.”Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• A fidget ring that I use to keep me grounded as needed

• A unique metal washer found on a family vacation to Wildwood, New Jersey, reminding me of special times with my family

• A colorful glass charm from a necklace that broke- given to me by a dear friend, Amelia

What does this heartfelt description mean for you? Probably nothing! But hopefully it does make you ponder what symbols YOU hold dear and possibly to be curious about people you know and meet and see.

In preparation for this post, I researched some quotes about symbols. I love this one: “Symbols are the language of something invisible spoken in the visible world” (Gertrude von Le Fort). Looking at the pictures of random junk hanging from my water bottle gives you a clue into my heart and mind. It brings to reality what I hold dear. I wonder what a symbol of your goals, desires, needs, and wants would look like to share what is in your mind.

Another quote I found was from Emerson…one of my favorite authors. I actually had to search a bit to understand what he was saying (which is why I adore him). To inhabit means to live, occupy, dwell…soooo, basically, we live in symbols. We share them with ALL we say and do. Who we follow on social media, what we wear, what we say. Yikes! And, wow! That’s a lot of pressure. And power. For good…or maybe not for good?. Along these lines, I came across a passage in my devotional today that I have read many times, but the version I was reading from made me feel the need to be more vigilant concerning what I say. “For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of…”Luke 6:45. Even our tongue is a symbol!

Lastly, I decided to research the word ‘symbol’ because it’s something I enjoy doing with free time…looking up where words come from~the etymology. So, if I can translate from WAY back to the beginning, the word ’symbol’ basically comes from ‘syn’: with (together) and ‘bole‘: to throw. Which to me makes me want to ask you…what do YOU ‘throw with’?

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Journal Prompts

• What symbols come to mind when you think about your hobbies, interests, likes, strengths?

• Is there anywhere you display them? Could you?

• What do you want people to notice about you? Is it easily seen in what you say and do?

• What do you notice about people first? Could this be something you become curious about?