Last night my husband facilitated a powerful workshop called “Your Right of Passage.” I had the opportunity to just sit and watch a brilliant teacher at work guiding over 20 people through a very deep topic with compassion, gentleness and humor.

I received a great gift last night. Not only did I get to know my husband in a different way; but, I received a great gift from the evening. I knew it already, but for some reason I made a commitment last night to take care of my little girl.

We all  have an inner child, and, as Rev. Patrick stated, when we have not really given them much attention, she/he shows up in adulthood as our personality. We react to life from the perspective of our child. No matter what are upbringing is and whether or not we feel it was a good one or a horrid one, we have an opportunity right now. That opportunity is to re-parent our child. We have an opportunity to give our child all the love, protection and guidance that we may have never received. We have the opportunity to create our own Rite of Passage right now. It is our “Right.”

Last night, it was made plain and simple for us. One of the biggest steps in this process and the one that stops most of us up is forgiveness. Can we forgive everything and everyone that let us down? Can we stop blaming ourselves for not being mature enough or good enough to have done things better? Wow! We do waste a lot of time in our past, thinking it is our present. The war is long over and we are still fighting the battle.

What I know is that we are safe to grow up, not into adults, but into mature spiritual beings who know how to love themselves and care for themselves right now.

And, our inner child is not a person that we just get to relate to once. That is what I have done in the past. I have an experience, deal with the issue and then forget about my little girl again. I know better now. Until, I can integrate both lives as one life – woman and child, I will not be free.

As Patrick put it: “Our inner child is our true perfect self.” Really, it is God expressing as us without all the restrictions and limitations that living put upon us. Please do not mistake this for doing what we want when we want it, oblivious to others. That’s called spoiled.

Our inner children are not spoiled brats; they are mystical, imaginative, passionate, adventurous, unlimited and filled with awe. They are pure love without bounds. And, for many of us, they’ve been ignored and submerged for too long. I invite us to give them a voice and to truly listen to what they have to say. Our inner children have the power to turn our lives around and upward.

Love and Aloha,

Rev. Rita