"A new chapter in a novel is something like a new scene in a play.." ~ Jane Eyre

It is the nature of my craft to transpose the literal to the figurative.

Lately I have been reading about Feng Shui. Over the past year I have subscribed more and more to the theory that there has to be balance in one's physical environment in order to have balance in one's head.

Can one see this metaphorically and apply it to people?

I hesitate comparing a person to a piece of furniture, but at the same time, our bodies are a type of home. If there is an imbalance in our inner space due to a person not fitting in properly into our lives, shouldn't one practice the art of feng shui? Repositioning is ideal, but sometimes removal is necessary. Human beings have a tendency to hang on to things that are not good for their well-being; we want to believe somehow that we can find a space no matter what, denying the fact that something broken cannot be hung up or denying that something built for temporary purposes cannot last permanently.

I am very fortunate to have a solid group of people in my life who are so embedded into my inner space that they cannot ever be removed. They are the ones that give me balance in the first place. I decorate my soul with wonderful drapes of love from all of them. When things in my life get stormy and windy, they are there to blow it all away. When I feel as if I am drowning under water, they are there to bring me to the surface.

Over the past year, there have been a few individuals who entered my life who have one foot in the door of my inner sanctum and one foot out. This has been the cause of great imbalance. The more I ponder this, the more I realize that as hard as I have tried to be a warm and welcoming hostess, it is time to close the door. I don't see this as burning bridges because I am not angry at any of them.

I see it as keeping peace in my home.

I don't want freebirds hitting my windows, I don't want jugglers tossing my heart around on the floor, and I will not answer my phone New Year's Day to one I view as a permanent nomad who has no appreciation for my house. I wish them peace, which is what I desire the most for myself and others.