The two-year-old pounded on the sliding glass door, tears running hot down his red face, frustration radiating off of him.
His big sister looked on calmly.
"He wants Mama," she repeated to me, in a serious but kind tone of voice that transmitted her empathy to the situation her brother had found himself in.
The toddler cried some more. Mom had disappeared into our house, the sun shining off the glass door making it impossible to look in and see where she was.
The source of everything: food, love, hugs, kisses, warmth, kindness, was gone. He was left alone with his big brother and sister and me, a friend of the family he didn't know that well.
His five-year-old sister watched him peacefully. She was sympathetic, but she knew from experience that mom would be back. This crisis would soon be over. The source would return and the tears would end. There was a reunion on the horizon. She could see it, but the little one could not.
How often have we felt like that toddler, crying and frustrated, shut off completely from our source? Whether we call it Mama or Paper, mother or father, God or the creator, or the eternal source, haven't we all felt completely alone at some point, as if our Mama had gone and wasn't coming back?
At times like this, we need someone to let us cry it out. Someone who can watch our tears with understanding. Someone who can hold that space for us. Someone who knows that Mama will show back up. Someone who has gone through it before, who knows what it's like to pound on that door, scared and frightened. Someone who can intervene if necessary, but their very presence, even in our profound despair, makes the experience just a little less frightening.
That's what spiritual companionship has provided in my life - an opportunity to walk with a trusted advisor and friend on my journey. Someone who listens without judging and can hold that space, hold your fear and discomfort, and just be there for you. It's been one of the biggest blessings in my life, and the desire to do the same for others led me on my own path to become a certified spiritual director.
If you feel drawn to spiritual companionship, contact me at katiethejoyfulcompanion@gmail.com to set up a free, one hour consultation. You can share with me in a safe, confidential space about where you are on your journey and have a chance to learn more about spiritual companionship to discover if it is right for you.
Blessings to you on your journey, wherever it may take you!

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