What Do I Call You?

By nature, he is a writer. With pen in hand, he is quite deliberate about word choice, striving for accuracy and precision. For a long time, he wrestled with how to describe the prince of a man who, with love, tenderness and patience, helped create pathways and settings for him to meet himself.

‘Therapist’ conjured up visions of endless non-productive talk-therapy dialogue about abandonment, separation or attachment issues. ‘Guide’ seemed unduly focused on medicine. Even before his first journey, he had awareness of a process far more complex than a simple elixir.  ‘Teacher’ seemed to convey a prescribed predictable process with a lesson plan, chapter and verse. ‘Spiritual Healer’ implied he was powerless and his prince harbored some magical wizardry that would serve as the panacea for his discontent and self-loathing.  

After his first journey, as he grew deeper in the processes of integration and unfolding, he continued to struggle with how to describe this newfound relationship. He finally brought his dilemma forward, asking “What do I call you?” His teacher grew silent for a moment, then quietly responded, “Why don’t you simply call me your Welcoming Committee?”