When I was ten or so, I was riding my bike to the corner store. I don't remember how I crashed my bike but I did quite spectacularly in a sea of gravel. My right knee took the brunt of the crash and thus, rocks, sand and grit was mashed in a bloody gash. I remember that there was blood and pain - two indicators that, obviously, something was wrong. There's a scar on my knee now. A reminder of that day that caused me to be more careful while riding my bike (at least until I was thirteen and I was hit by a car). My mom took me to the bathroom and washed my wound. Cleaning an open wound is never an easy operation because peroxide or virtually anything else that touches the wound, causes a higher sensation of pain.
No matter how much it hurts, the wound has to be cleaned out so that infection doesn't set in. You don't want to stare at your knee and see it getting redder and hotter to the touch. Eventually, fever sets in and then things can quickly go downhill from there. After the cleaning, ointment (Polysporin perhaps) and bandage wrap are necessary to protect the wound so it can heal.
What happens when the wound isn't on the outside but on the inside? We can get injured in our soul, heart and mind. These can come from many outside forces.
A toxic work environment.
A painful breakup.
Careless words from a loved one.
Ouch!
Leaving unattended wounds of the soul is a risk of infection just like a physical cut. If you harbour ill will to the person that wronged you, it can turn to hatred. When hatred lives unchecked, bitterness is the result. This is like a deep sickness of the soul.
The infection needs to be treated. You've probably seen people with untreated wounds of the heart. They can't wait to tell you information about how awful someone is and why. When you overshare, it becomes like experiencing it all over again. I know this because I've been that person who waits to bring up the issue so that I can complain about how I've been mistreated. I didn't properly care for my soul wound. I should have also created better boundaries so that I would put myself in less abusive environments. It took many years but I'm becoming better at attending to my soul's deep hurts caused by others.
If this is you, don't self-medicate or stew in your own bitterness. Take some time for self-care. Seek professional help and learn to properly forgive (that is releasing the bitterness or grudge) so that you will win the day. You can't help what other people say but you can help yourself by attending to the emotional care just as you would the physical.
You are the best and need to treat yourself as such!
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