In This Season...by Clarissa Reiners, Guest Blogger

Living in the Midwest for almost my entire existence, I became accustomed to the life of four seasons. I may not enjoy them all, I absolutely dislike winter, crazy I know since I live in Iowa, but I am used to their rotation. Much like the seasons of the year, life tends to take us on a journey of seasons that are forever changing. Yet unlike the seasons of the year, the seasons in your life are not always as expected. You don’t always know what to wear, what you’ll need, what the weather will be, or what the outside world will feel like. There isn’t just the four seasons. For some, this is exciting because they are ready to embrace what’s to come, and for others they fear the unknown.

These past few years of my life haven’t been easy. So much change has occurred.

I moved back to my hometown and experienced a new relationship, a new family, new responsibilities, new priorities, new expectations,a new career, Covid, my position being eliminated due to Covid, started my own business, endured the loss of dear loved ones, the birth of my precious daughter, and my side kick, my son, moving away to live with his father. I won’t lie, it’s been tough. Tougher than I could have ever imagined. In the midst of all of these changes, I realized that I forgot the most important thing…me.

With everything going on around me, I forgot about me. I lost Clarissa. I found myself doing what I think I should or what others think I should. I was taking other people’s wants and desires into consideration more than I did my own. Doing things or accepting things I wouldn’t normally accept, saying yes when I wanted to say no, staying when I felt like I should go, or simply standing still when I knew I needed to move. I did this to please other people. And honestly, it left me feeling stuck, stranded, swamped, lost, anchored, wedged, confined, detached, insecure and isolated. It put my mental health at stake especially since I was already going through postpartum depression after having my daughter.

When I was 19 years old, for my birthday my Aunt took me to get my first and only tattoo. I got a monarch butterfly to symbolize that I was free, free as a butterfly and that the world was mine for the taking.

So this season of my life I am speaking the word “FREE.” Free to be me unapologetically. Free to be who I am no matter who approves. Free of feeling stuck, stranded, swamped, lost, anchored, wedged, confined, detached, insecure and isolated. Free to do what I want, when I want. Free to do as I see best for me. Free to say what I want with no obligations. Free to express the way that I feel whether it’s reciprocated or not. Free to make the decisions that I want to make. Free to say no without guilt. Free to say yes without fear.

FREE.

So to those reading this, I want you to ask yourself, what are you speaking into your life this season? What do you feel is something that YOU want to see in your life? And when you know, do just that. SPEAK it into your life. Say it out loud, listen to yourself, write it down, look at it, read your words and feel it, think it, and believe it. Whatever it is that you speak of into your life this season, embrace it. For it is just that… a season.

Clarissa Reiners is the owner of “Jewels” a metaphysical and holistic health and wellness boutique. After going through one of the most traumatic experiences of her life, Clarissa looked for a natural ability to heal and fell in love with crystals and herbs. You can find Jewels again this year at 220 E 4th Street for Shop Downtown Waterloo Saturdays starting November 5 through December 17 for all of your self love and healing needs. Jewels aims to promote positivity and self love through natural herbs and crystals.