Crossing the threshold

I stand at the mouth of a bridge, long and stretching over a bubbling, sparkly river. The sun is warm and there is a cool breeze off the water that gently rocks the bridge.

As I take my first step out, I have a flash of panic, a vision of dark skies, fierce wind, roiling water lapping at the deck of the bridge, prying boards away to leave precarious gaps.

I close my eyes and immerse myself in the fearful vision, feeling my stomach turn and my knees weaken, cold sweat on my palms. In the darkness I take a deep breath and remind myself I can open my eyes to find none of this is real. I can trust all is well, even if this is what I experience at this moment. It is an illusion, a shadow false and misleading.

I open my eyes as I exhale deeply and place my hands firmly and steadily on the railing. It feels warm and solid beneath me. I take another deep breath and with eyes fixed ahead on the other side of the river, I take the first step with serene confidence.

There was a time when I may have faltered and looked down, trying to gauge the drop from the space between the boards, but not today. I want to make this crossing more than anything, for on the other side I will find the path of initiation, the journey back to myself, to the abandoned baby who grew into the girl at the center of the labyrinth held captive by the misguided evil queens.

I will need help and support along the way. I trust that whatever I need, even if I don’t know what it may be at the moment, will appear at the right time. I am on my Hero’s Journey to discover my destiny, my purpose, the reason why I was called forth here in this time and place.

I am not afraid.

I was born for this.