Lesson Learned, Allison: Holly in the Tree House Doing Yoga

Contest entry #4 by Allison Barnes of An Apple a Day and the We are Women project. Don't forget we've extended the deadline! One more week to get your essays in!

In my childhood, I longed to leave my small hometown, lovingly christened a “bubble.” One morning I decided to “run away” to the tree house in my front yard, returning home minutes later at my mother’s panicked calls. Apparently, Breakfast at Tiffany’s had too much of an influence on me, because if Holly Golightly could run away from her small town and become a socialite in New York, why couldn’t I?

Adulthood hit in the midst of a deteriorating relationship, an unfulfilling job, and a myriad of opportunities to leave everything behind. Instead of becoming a morally-questionable socialite in New York City sometime in the 1940’s, I found myself praying to have more faith. I prayed until I no longer found it an issue. And then I remained in my physical surroundings while emotionally and spiritually moving on.

Or I thought I had moved on, but some of those opportunities still lingered around, waiting for me to be willing, waiting for me to say it’s alright to come back and present themselves.

A friend offering her experience wrote: “For me, it was a huge leap of faith… and finally, I just decided I needed to push forward.” Her words to me resonated. I was scared, she knew it, and she had been, too. But this woman, she had strength and grace, something that I admired deeply and could never imagine attaining myself.

The comfort kept coming throughout the week. At the close of a yoga class, the instructor quietly said: “Make decisions based on truth and love, and ask for peace.”

Between the mat below and the air above, my heart shook at this statement. I did not want to leave Savasana. I wanted to lay there forever, eyes closed, feeling that peace.

So I will run away, but do so with truth, love, and faith. I won’t run to a tree house or swindle old men out of their riches (unless dictated to do so by truth, love, and faith, but I doubt such values would lead me to a tree house or gold digger future). I will move forward by these precepts, and hopefully someday call it a lesson learned.