Hoodoos​

 

"Before there were any Indians, the Legend People, To-when-an-ung-wa, lived in that place..."  (Paiute Indian saying)

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On our visit to Bryce Canyon National Park this summer, we learned that the red spindly rock formations that make up the magnificent canyon views are called hoodoos.  Paiute Indians inhabited this region for hundreds of years before the arrival of European Americans.  A sacred oral tradition of the Paiutes states that the hoodoos are ancient “Legend People” turned into stone by Coyote.  Looking down into the amphitheaters at Bryce Canyon, it is easy to imagine the Legend People standing with their straight posture in the form of hoodoos. The name Bryce Canyon in Paiute means "bowl shaped canyon filled with red rocks standing up like men."  

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The hoodoos are ever changing due to the delicate balance between wind, rain and snow.  Just as climate affects the hoodoos, so the many changes and challenges in our lives impact and shape us in ways we could never imagine.  The challenges of mental illness also affect the lives of those who love and care for us. 

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I am one of those persons who denied and resisted the symptoms of mental illness.  It was only when I could accept my illness and embrace myself as a child of God that I was able to move into recovery.  I still find hope when I hear the stories of others.  I pray that you would listen and learn from the “legend people” in your life who have faced mental health challenges and were transformed into persons who are able to stand up tall and live life abundantly.