Give Your Shadows a Voice
 ~Gemma Halpern

The article on “Love Your Shadows” came at the perfect time. I had been suffering with a tightness in my throat. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe at times. I had just had a visit from two friends who were attending a seminar in the Los Angeles area and needed a place to stay over for three days and nights.

I agreed to share my apartment which was a one bedroom place and as time wore on I regretted my generosity. One of my guests was a 450 pound gentleman and I relinquished my bed to him and I slept in my recliner. He snored so loud I needed to turn off my hearing aides to sleep. The other friend slept on my couch. He snored and she busied herself into the wee hours of the morning with paperwork and God knows what else.

She had brought up so many bundles and briefcases that lined my hallway and around the couch. I found her up in the bathroom for hours, washing up and just thinking and thinking. I found myself getting angry, irritated and very annoyed. I stifled my feelings since I had convinced myself that those emotions were unacceptable.

In fact my lady friend insisted that some darkness had overshadowed me. I really asked God to help me see what all this was about. What I got was that tightness in my throat was my own self stifling, self suffocation and not allowing myself to speak up before those energies became a storm ... which they did, because I lashed out at her when she overstayed her welcome and her three days turned into 7 days. Her snoring friend left on the weekend.

I know my shadow was my judgments about any negative reactions to what was going on ... any anger, upset or annoyance. Now it is about letting me say what I think and not agree to such impositions. Loving myself for telling the truth and honoring my own feelings and desires. My tight throat and discomfort cleared up as well as what I thought was sciatica ... shadow translation ... my friend was a pain in my butt and the pain running down my leg was my self immobilization: I could not move forward on my feelings and getting my needs met.

My shadows need to be respected for the messages they transmit. Thank You God for showing me my inner truth.

~ Gemma Halpern