Yesterday, I glanced down at an invitation sitting on a hallway table at the family's house where I tutor. The invite read:
Max is Turning 10!
Come to his Mask-Making Party!
I stopped dead in my tracks. Noooo!!! Masks? As we grow older, we form so many masks, covering up the Divine Being within us. And here is a party celebrating this great charade?
Just moments later, I heard the 6 year old telling his older sister, "When I'm in 5th grade, I get to make REAL masks in school! I can't wait! Isn't that cool?"
I watch his bright eyes glisten with excitement, and I want SO badly to protect him from the inevitable mask making that occurs in all of our lives. As a teacher, I witnessed this process so clearly in the elementary schools. Children are such glowing, authentic souls naturally. They remember who they really are. Then comes 4th or 5th grade. I watched as they started to "make masks" to conform to what they think their teachers, parents, society, and most of all PEERS want them to look like and be.
Here are some of the masks chosen by Yours Truly: The Funny One, The Party Animal, The Flirt, The Ditz, The Tortured Artist, The Philanthropist, The Prom Queen, The Over Achiever, The Holier than Thou, The Hippi, The Teacher, The Performer, The Good Daughter, Good Friend, Good Wife, Good Everything, The Pollyanna.
I could go on and on. The point is, at some time in my life, probably around 4th grade, I decided that me being ME, wasn't good enough. And I got down to the task mask making. Interestingly enough, all of these "masks" are part of this Character Cora, and they all serve me in different ways, in fact wearing them can be really fun!
The danger is when I mistake my TRUE identity for one of the masks, instead of seeing them for what they are: Costumes and I get to CHOOSE to wear when I want to play! They are not ME. Masks do not need to cover up my Soul, my Divine Being that shines from within ALL THE TIME when I don't cover it up!!
"Love takes off the masks we fear we cannot live without, and know we cannot live within. I use the word love here not in the infantile sense of being made happy, but in the tough and universal sense of quest and daring and growth."-James Baldwin
So guess what everyone?? YOU ARE INVITED TO A PARTY!!!
We are beginning to remember who we are REALLY, underneath all the masks...so we are going to celebrate!
Come to the Mask Smashing Party!!
We will dance, sing, laugh, cry, hold each other, and smash are masks with the unbelievable power of LOVE.
Then we will joyfully look into each others eyes. I will SEE you. You will SEE me. We will be ONE.
Underneath all the masks, our true identity will be so clear...
We are LOVE.
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2 comments:
Dear Cora,
Gary has shared your incredible blogs with me and I feel as if I know you. You have an amazing way of capturing the essence of the teachings of USM and sharing them in such delicious ways. Keep on blogging as you smash your masks and stand in the perfect beauty that I know you are.
Love and Light,
Kim
Hi Cora,
I found you through Dream Boogie. I LOVE this post SO much. It's so true and insightful. I have these masks from when I worked in an activities dept at a timeshare resort (mostly with 5-12 year olds.) I've been meaning to throw them out or give them away, but now thanks to your lovely advice, I'm going to have a mask smashing party! Just perfect.
Oh! Do you know the "I see you, do you see me" story?! I had an experience with a yogi and have been looking for this exercise he had us do with partners saying "I see you, do you see me. I remember you, do you remember me." I ended up breaking down and crying at the end because it was so touching. Now I can't find seem to find the story he told us. Do you know?!
I apologize for rambling on here! Thanks :)
Gratefully,
Carissa
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