Pepper is my little kitty princess. She and I learned how to hold space. It all began on a dark March night at the beginning of a worldwide pandemic. You wouldn't know if now to look at her but I found her on the streets of Memphis starving, thirsty, pregnant and so weak she could barely eat at about 5 months old. She jumped into my arms and landed in my heart. The vet I took her to the next day said she was pregnant with 4 kittens, worm infested and extremely malnourished. He doubted she would survive. I did not doubt her. She was a fighter. I held space for her. I held love and hope for her. We bonded over round the clock feedings of wet food, water and snuggles. She began to thrive. She delivered 4 healthy beautiful kittens. I held space for her and the babies to grow and thrive. When they were old enough to go to forever homes all the babies left for their forever families. I held space for Pepper as she healed from the surgery of being spayed. I loved her and cared for her.
It was a realization that hit me out of nowhere when I realized she holds space daily for me. She is my constant, quiet companion. She waits every day for me to return home and is my sweet girl that demands play time, snuggles and naps. No matter how my day has been, what I am feeling or what kind of mood I am in, Pepper holds that sweet space of unconditional love for me.
We hold space for our clients. Sometimes we hold space for them to cry. Sometimes we hold space for them to vent. Sometimes we hold space for them let down their guard and express their pain and discomfort that they power through daily. We hold a space to touch them in a safe, comfortable, non-judgment way.
The space we hold for our clients is a precious space. It is full of hope, healing, love, compassion, and silence. We may not see a client very often. Maybe it has even been years. For the ones that remember that space you hold for them it is a treasure. Keep holding that space for your clients it is a precious gift to both of you.