Ugh. Fog. It makes it hard to drive and its cold clamminess gets in our bones. Yet, one morning my pretty ordinary suburban park was transformed into wonderland by fog. The purple jacarandas, beautiful in their own right, took on an ethereal quality with the unlikely addition of fog.
Fog invites us to slow down. To pause our frantic schedules and see what cannot be seen on a sunny day. What we see in the sun is a given; What we see in the fog is a gift.
Fog and trauma
One of the effects of trauma can be a brain fogginess that sets in without warning. Thoughts that make sense elude you or run in endless stressful loops. You can feel numb or out-of-your-body. These are expected responses in betrayal trauma. This is when you can embrace the gift of fog, pausing to get back into your body through engaging with your senses. What's right in front of you? What do you see? What do you feel on your skin? What do you smell? Someone has said if you want to heal fast, go slow. Pause when the fog lies in your way, take long breaths and notice your body's signals. Be kind to yourself and give yourself permission to slow down till the fog rolls back and the sun comes out.
Fog,
you obscure my surrounds and steal my safety.
Silently, darkly,
you creep into my world
and block my vision from seeing the world ahead.
Without a sound
you ground planes,
you make cars crash,
you rob me of my view.
I have so much to do, so far to go,
But you lie in my way
And I am stalled until you melt into day.
Fog,
you halt my rushing and shift my reality.
Quietly, persistently,
you reframe my world
and turn my vision to see what's right in front of me.
Without a sound
you tether my flight,
you make me pause,
you refocus my view.
I need so much to stay in the moment, far from crazy.
You lie in my way
And I will rest until you melt into day.
Jane is passionate about equipping others to engage with their conflicts confidently and compassionately. In addition to coaching through Quiet Wisdom, she can be contracted for mediation through PeaceWise.
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