Fear

There is a spirit of fear and I know what he looks like. At first, he is powerful. His arms are strong and weathered, lean and tan. Muscled by his death grip over my heart. As I wrestle with him, I am overwhelmed. I try to kill him. I try to push him away, he overpowers me again and again. I invite him in. We share tea. I open to the message he brings me. As I walk in his presence, he deflates before my eyes. Graying and puffy, he softens, his face ages and I come to see him in a different way. It’s as if we have become friends. It’s difficult to let him go. Walking on without him seems impossible. Yet I know he is the gatekeeper to all that I desire. The gatekeeper to freedom, the gatekeeper to joy, the gatekeeper to love and elation. I choose to pass through his gates, for on the other side, is life.