IN A FIELD OF HORSES
I climb over the fence and jump down onto the grass and begin walking. I see a field full of horses, but there are only three that I focus on. The first one is the largest, brown with a white patch, and the father figure. A punctual and nervous perfectionist, tidy, organized and controlling. Precise and detail oriented. I am reminded of Mr. Banks from Mary Poppins whose cruel and critical words can cut you in half.
The second is a pure white Arabian, and this is the mother. She is by all accounts “special”, and there is no one else quite like her. I see a ring of flowers around her neck and many blue ribbons. But she is a neglectful mother who spends too much time in the limelight and not enough time at home taking care of her child. There is lots of fanfare and praise for all her achievements, and she often wins “Citizen of the Year” or “Best Mother”. She is humble and modest and over commits herself, often helping strangers more than her own family. Always interested in money making ventures but seldom practical, typically concentrating on dollars spent rather than debts owed.
The smallest of the three horses (the child) is in the foreground, a rogue spirit and non-conformist who is also not practical or realistic. She sets the bar too high for herself and is devastated when it doesn’t pan out. Too sensitive emotionally and often gets her feelings hurt. Wants to be loved and included but not willing to work hard to achieve the relationships she desires. She will put a LOT of effort (almost too much) in at times but then burns out, pulls back and retreats … until the loneliness begins to bother her. She then slowly emerges and gets back into the swing of things for awhile, but she is never comfortable in her own skin and never proud of who she is. She tires easily and wants to go home before anyone else. Nothing appeals to her more than putting her pajamas on, reading a book and drinking hot milk. Is often challenged for her belief system because she looks at life differently than most and refuses to live her life in a typical or accepted manner. A fierce competitor, she can be stubborn and unrelenting at times and often promises more than she can deliver. Not as confident on the inside as she pretends to be.
They are a family, of sorts. Not really there for each other and no love lost between them. Just a habit and a ritual. All-American. In name only.
Copyright © 2014 (Michelle Parsons, Getting Back on Your Path). All Rights Reserved.
