The Hansel and Gretel fairy tale is about abandonment. All of us, at various points in this human existence, will experience the sense that we’re out of place, or that we’ve been left somewhere. It may be because of a childhood wound, or plans not working out, or a sudden loss.
In the fairy tale, a poor widowed woodcutter has two children. He remarries. (Lots of these kinds of stories have step-mothers in them. It’s not a knock on step-mothers; it’s a symbol of the sense of not feeling connected to our source, the womb we came from.) The step-mother suggests they take the kids out to the woods and let them fend for themselves rather than all 4 of them starve to death. Hansel overhears the plot, and he tucks a crust of bread in his pocket. The next morning, when the parents lead the kids out into the forest, Hansel shrewdly leaves a trail of breadcrumbs so he and Gretel will be able to find their way home.
It’s a great strategy. We have lots of strategies. We have a retirement account. We have our cars and our insurance plans and more TVs than we can watch. These breadcrumbs of security might make us feel safe for a long time.
But here’s the thing:
It seemed like a great strategy… except that in the fairytale,
birds came and ate Hansel’s breadcrumbs.
What?!?
We work so hard! We do all the stuff we’re supposed to do!
But then life happens, somebody gets sick, somebody gets fired, something goes wrong, someone breaks our heart.
And we look down and we thought we knew the way back home, but we feel lost and alone and in big trouble and bitter.
In Hansel and Gretel’s case, this just meant they had to go deeper into the forest. And there’s whole story ahead in which they discover more danger – but also, they discover their strengths (they vanquish a witch who was trying to eat them up). And they end up back home (with their pockets full of treasure from the witch’s house), safe and sound. (Plus, the step-mother died while they were gone and the dad is super sorry he listened to her.)
You may find that your plans and safeguards, your doctrines or beliefs, your entire worldview, has fallen apart. This is good.
It doesn’t mean all is well; you may have to travel further within and face your fears and confront the limitations of what you thought was possible. This is very good.
There is treasure there. Fill your pockets.
