Consciously Moving Away From Fear

If we have the ability to recognize fear, would we know what to do with that information? I was given this opportunity most recently as we planned our trip to Tuscany for Josh and Wendy’s wedding.

High season for travel to Italy is in the midst of summer vacation. And because Wendy is a teacher, the most convenient time for their wedding was the first week of July. The cost of airlines tickets was high. Prices were fluctuating from $1,500 to $1,800, way more than we had budgeted for. Would we be able to afford our trip together as a family?

It did not take long for fear to take hold. And with fear comes distorted emotions. Before long, Josh and Hollybeth were bickering over incidental issues. Shan was calling me from Denver, adamant that she and Jesse would not be able to afford the high costs associated with this type of adventure. Fear was turning into anger, and I did not like what I was seeing.

Under “normal” circumstances, I would have jumped right in… judging this or trying to control that. Normal is who I no longer choose to be. I have been working diligently to test my ability to move away from fear and here was my opportunity to see how far I have come.

Instead of meeting their emotions, I stepped back and watched the energy as it was playing out. It became clear that my children were fearful that they would be unable to raise enough money for our trip together. More importantly, I realized the original fear came from the thought of missing out on an opportunity to love and support their brother through his wedding day.

Now that I had information in hand, I chose to express myself free from the fear that surrounded each of them. I wrote the following letter:

Dear Shanny, Josh and Hollybeth…

I am watching each of us travel down the road of “fear of money”, and I feel that our fears are getting in the way of our love of one another. So I am going to move my fears aside in the hopes that you can do the same.

I am ready to express what I am able to do so we can all share in the joy and love of this wonderful opportunity to be together again in Italy. In order for me to do that, I need each of you to express truthfully exactly what your fears are.

Can you think about how much money you are certain to have for this trip and how much you may be able to save before we leave? Can you think about how much money you may need from me and Dad to help you, as well as any other fears or concerns you may have attached to our upcoming adventure?

I would like very much to have all my children together in Tuscany, ready to share our love at Josh and Wendy’s wedding.

Would you join me on my quest to face my fears and move through them so we can just love one another?

Love Mom

And then a funny thing happened. Energy began to move. Josh and Hollybeth immediately forgave one another for their silly misunderstanding. Shan and Jesse found lots of things they had not used in years and could easily turn into money.

Ken and I took care of the rest… and somehow money began to funnel in.. more than enough to take care of all our needs…

A little over 2 months before our planned departure, we found a direct flight from Boston to Rome for $1225.00 per person, a price that now felt like a bargain in comparison. Since we had a party of 5 with a 5-month old to boot, I decided it was time to take the plunge and booked our flights.

As we began to redirect our energy toward being in Italy, fear moved out of the way and creation took over. We were on our way… free of fear and full of love…with memories that will last a lifetime.