Smoothing out Life’s little irritations

Pearls. Tiny, precious, iridescent, creations of enigmatic water creatures.

They’ve been singing.

I’ve had a pair of them close by all week. I kept them in a stone bowl, next to a fossil oyster and an opalized clam shell. I’ve been feeling extra calm and resting easier. My sleep has also been better.

Chillax

Learning more about these shiny pearls, as I sit down to write this light log post, is helping me to understand this new “chill” attitude and why things that normally irritate and unsettle me, are feeling less bothersome. A big clue comes from how these gems are made.

A pearl is formed by an oyster or clam when debris gets into its shell and causes an irritation. The sea being brilliantly coats this intrusion with layers of mother of pearl (nacre), transforming the intrusion into treasure. This beautiful creature can teach me how to alchemize the unexpected irritations in my life—to smooth things out so I don’t feel the roughness against my sensitive nature.

Unexpected Strength

I wonder if their tremendous strength has something to do with their calming effect. The soft, orbs which are so easily scratched might not seem so tough, but appearances can be deceiving. Mother of pearl is 3,000 times more fracture-resistant than the aragonite it is made of and the scientific community is trying to figure out how.

"You can go over it with a truck and not break it–you will crumble the outside [of the shell] but not the [nacre] inside. And we don’t understand how it forms–that’s why it’s so fun to study."
— Pupa Gilbert, physicist, University of Wisconsin–Madison.

How to soften

Pearl’s soft, feminine essence can show us how to soften when life gets hard. And its unexpected toughness can guides us into the frequency of resilience. By tapping into our inner strength we can deal with anything that comes our way without crumbling.

Heaven is Home

I believe the biggest part of pearl’s peace is its Divine connection. It is, after all, what heaven’s gates are made of. An indestructible material, with a soft, ethereal facade. This seems very much like the nacre of unexplainable strength that the scientists are perplexed by.

Maybe that’s the secret of the blissful calm that emanates from pearl. It takes us home. When we are home we are comfortable, relaxed, peaceful. There is a lot about pearl that sings of home.

Searching for Home

When I was learning about pearl, I discovered something about an oyster’s life that took my breath away. When an oyster is born it swims through the water searching for its perfect home—its forever home. Once it finds the perfect location, it cements itself in place and stays there for its lifetime. Then it creates its shell—its home.

The pearl also sings of home. Besides the fact that it is made from the same stuff as the shell, the piece of debris that caused its formation, becomes encased in nacre. You could see it as having a little home of its own.

Finding treasure

I truly feel that this is the reason for the cool, calm in my body. And that’s not to say that there was no turbulence in my life and my relationships. I had a few intense moments—they just didn’t rattle me the way they usually do. I also feel that pearl’s presence is the reason I’m feeling so relaxed right now as I near the end of the day and my light log post is still not finished.

I would not tell you that you will have the same experience that I have had with this magical being, but if you are looking to smooth out life’s irritations and find a sense of calm and peace, invite pearl into your life. Whatever your experience will be, you will find treasure in one way or another.