Who Are Your Body Parts?

People are Like Body Parts

Their roles vary tremendously in our human experience. Some feel vital to life; some have a little less significant contribution, some we can live without, and some even like to keep making painful stones to carry and pass. Oddly, our view of who is what body part can be different among all of us.

Finding peace and joy in operating as a singular, autonomous individual is critical to wellness. However, a key feature of being human is that we are social creatures.

True, “social” can mean different things

Being a mom of neurodivergent humans, I know how different “social” is for every person. There must be billions of variations of what social need is or is not for an individual. Indeed, we have to figure that out for ourselves. I respect that the spectrum of relationships is as vastly different as this planet full of life. And let us remember the importance of our flora and fauna connections.

That being said, what is critical? Take, for example, the heart. Everyone reading this will have a unique, visceral reaction to that word. Many among us don’t have anyone in this life with this title. Some have a few. Some had, and now miss. No matter the unique situation, the “heart” makes us feel something. What is it?

What about the lungs?

Does anyone have a stomach in their life?

Beware of Rot

It is something, isn’t it? How long will we live with something unhealthy before we do something about it? We watch as the infection worsens, hoping it will get better on its own. But the signs are there if we choose to see them — inflammation, pain, swelling, things not looking or feeling quite right.

Granted, sometimes, we don’t always see the signs until it has gotten the best of us. Disillusioned by loyalty, commitment, or the simple fact that we have put sacrificial life force into nursing it, we don’t want to give up. I have been there way too many times. Ultimately, almost at the cost of my life.

Although, sometimes, we find out just how resilient we are. How often have we broken something to find that we can repair it with the proper nutrients or medicine? I found clean food, music, exercise, and gardening to be excellent medicine during and in recovery from domestic violence.

Sometimes, though, there is a cost. Maybe we didn’t realize our right hand was rotten until it was too late, and the only way to stay alive was to be rid of it. A truly life-changing event. Traumatic, blunt, and terrible.

Ideally, we begin to learn to avoid the toxins. For me, I have a list of intolerable things. Hard lines. But it took some profound wounds and loss of self to realize I needed uncrossable, hard lines — characteristics I will never bring into my life ever again.

There are Parts We Cannot Live Without

There are just some organs we cannot live without, and if they are broken beyond repair, we may never be honored with a replacement.

So, sometimes we must live with the damage, grateful for additional days we find happiness. If our heart is broken, our stomach or lungs become even more critical than ever to us. When we see them, it feels like we have just breathed deep, refreshing, clean air. Or, they have nurtured us like a warm cup of soup while we repair.

Of course, there is no replacement for the old friends or family that go far back. One can hardly pick us out from an old photo; we look remarkably different now.

However, in prevalent circumstances, we have often ended up in vastly different places, geographically, mentally, or spiritually. Beautifully, they are a text away, but sadly, they may physically be a world away.

Or, we may discover we were our own hearts all along.

Where are My Spleen Friends?

I’ve been hoping for quite some time for a buddy.

Have you found yourself needing a buddy? Like a “hey, let’s go grab a coffee” buddy. A friend just a few minutes away who you can see or talk to at the drop of a hat. A person that knows you well enough to speak about your struggles in your personal life but still doesn’t know about some of the crap that went down a decade or two ago. At this stage in your life, a person who relates on many levels about the things happening right now.

Or maybe, like me, you have had a few here and there, and when your life blew up, they were part of the tragedy that had to be put behind you. Maybe they were some rocks you had to let go of. Or how about this one? You thought you made a connection, but the feelings were not mutual.

“Universe, I would like a good buddy.”

-Me

A spleen will do just fine

So, I have been putting in my universe request for some friends. And I’m not even asking for vital organ friends. Maybe just some spleen friends. I don’t necessarily need them for survival, but they are there to draw a positive life force if required. And they can add to my overall quality of life.

Perhaps that coffee or run around the block with my spleen is just the refill I needed from the bloodletting and energy vampires all day.

I might need a spleen friend even more than I ever realized.

What Part am I?

My kids are the first thing that comes to mind when considering this for myself. What am I to each of them? Would each child have something different that I am to them?

What about my husband, mother, sisters, and old friends? Hmm, what kind of person am I in other’s lives? That is a little bit of an eye-opener to ask myself.

What do I want to be?

Well, I suppose I should avoid being a rectum, although that is reasonably necessary to purge the shit.

I would love to find someone else who needs a spleen friend like I do.

I want to be a healthy organ

I like to think I’m a healthy, helpful part of people’s lives. I want to help deliver a positive life force and abundance in my relationships. However, upon self-reflection, I can see some areas I could improve.

I’m inspired to be a better organ for the people in my life. And I’m inspired to nurture my own. I’m inspired to deliver more positive vibrations — more love and more light.

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Find out more about my journey on my About Me page.

You can also join me and other brilliant authors on Medium.