Something New for our Backpack

Last week, we talked about emptying the backpack. But what happens when something new shows up, asking to be carried?

For me this week, it was guilt — guilt about my stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s, and the ongoing feeling that I’m not doing enough for her while she’s in assisted living. I could feel that weight wanting to climb into the pack.

So I found a way to set it down before it settled in. I took a walk and spoke to myself as I would to a dear friend — with kindness and understanding. Then, I created a small ceremony: I held a stone, imbuing it with both the guilt and the love I feel for my stepmother. I set an intention, placed the stone in the earth, and asked Mother Earth to hold it for me. Afterward, I did a recorded Biofield Tuning session.

I felt so much lighter — more myself.

When something heavy shows up, don’t let it slip unnoticed into your backpack. Pause, feel it, and find a way to set it down—with love. Whether through intention, nature, ceremony, or energy work, give yourself permission to release what doesn’t need to be carried. Lightness and self-kindness await on the other side.