Up Liberty Cap
An early start this morning, makes for a cool hike up to Liberty Cap. In the canyon, pungent sage aroma is more evident than usual. As in last week’s blog (Fruits of the Season – Joy), where we noticed plant life coming to seasonal fruition – the same is true here: broomweed has magnificent yellow blooms and most flowers and grass heads are transformed into seeds. The once moist tender petals of sego lilies – now altered into crunchy paper-pod structures. Up on the Precambrian basalt bench, I pass ancient pinions, loaded with pine cones.
Like plants, we pass through different life phases, but we also have different aspects, or parts. Parts Work is a way to consider all of our parts, or our subpersonalities, including our core self, and how they interact with one another. Some of our parts might be stuck in anger, hurt, or shame. These parts of ourselves can be defensive and closed, trying to protect us from further wounding. These wounded parts often conflict with other parts or even our core self – the whole person that is at the core of every individual.
For example, there is a part of me that gets really excited when someone wants to ride bikes – I become a bouncy, happy, squealing 10-year old. Let’s call her Loves-to-Bike. There is another part of me that destests red-tape – really any sort of paperwork, that’s Hates-Red-Tape. That part of me got stuck somehwere in my teens when I first opened a checking account and could never figure out how to reconcile the dang thing. She is stuck at overwhelmed, discouraged, and powerless. My Core-Self doesn’t really appreciate how Hates-Red-Tape pops up her head whenever she perceives the slightest amount of paperwork. She turns grouchy on a dime and puts out negative energy. And guess what? This causes disharmony. Parts work is all about healing the parts that are stuck in order to bring about harmony between all the parts.
Loves-to-Bike, Hates-Red-Tape, and Core-Self reach our destination on
Liberty Cap, where we rest. Core-self makes a mental note to schedule a
therapy appointment for Hates-Red-Tape. Core-Self wonders why she hasn’t
done that sooner! Meanwhile, Loves-to-Bike is feeling somewhat
satisfied for the moment – a nice hike is not too far off the mark!
