Sacred Spaces.

An anger burns within me, and displaced it is not. I was sitting with a group of adults, taking the risk of talking and being real and honest and genuine. And among them, I began to talk... I beamed with pride, bursting and spitting forth every bit of my being in complete honor and delight as I spoke about my parents' relationship and marriage. Filling the air with so much pride of my sacred spaces, special places, and precious treasure of the gift of their relationship. These are the things that are so dear to me, the moments of them both that are kept so secret inside that I harbor them as small treasures, glimpses of good, pieces of what is hope.

I shared with them, with so much pride, about how my parents dated every week of their marriage and how strong their marriage was. I was not boastful, but simply adoring them for their work and cherishing the example they set forth. I noted how they loved each other, how they loved to be together, and were always together... If one went to Menards, so did the other. If one stayed home, so did the other.

So perfect are these sacred spaces and special places to me. So close to my heart that to share them insinuates a deep commitment and trust of my personal self.

And then came the crash, the words that seemed like blasphemy in response. It wasn't the words I thought would come, nor the facial expressions, nor the support. It was words like "Oh, I could never do that..." or a contorted face with "uh, that is not the way I could ever be..." or the best yet, "that's not even healthy..."

So with my sacred spaces, my special places, they crushed and shattered my precious gifts against the walls. I carefully and slowly gathered up my things, making sure to be hesitant and calm and not make a scene, and I quietly crept from the place.

Please don't take my sacred spaces, my special places, my precious treasures, my gifts to you, and bash what is good against my heart. Past the offended, the anger burns, but now in conclusion, I am hurt. These things were gifts of my parents, their lives examples of all that is good. And you took my sacred spaces, my special places, my precious treasures, and I now I am hurt.