All around Berlin there are little gold markers inset into the pavement. During my first time as a tourist here, I spent many weeks walking around the city never noticing them. Then, on a Guided Walking Tour, they were pointed out to me. Now, I see them everywhere!
The stones are Stolpersteine – literally translating as ‘stumbling stones’. Found all around Europe, they are memorials, an exquisite sign of respect–for the millions of people who were rounded up and sent to concentration camps during WWII as victims of National Socialism. Many were Jews, but many others were sent to the camps based on another religious affiliation, lifestyle choice or cultural background. The stones contain a name, birthplace and date of birth, as well as the place and date of death. It also states whether the person lived (Hier Wohnte) or worked (Hier Arbeitete) at that address. Like any memorial, it is a sombre, thought-invoking experience. The Stolpersteine act as a metaphor as we stumble over the forgotten, and hopefully take some time to remember. And when we remember, it honours them.
I always stop now to read them, often take a photo, and I spend a moment sending peace and love to the soul of the person whose name is on the marker.
The other week, I was doing exactly this when a lovely man stopped, stared at me with interest and commented, ‘I see people walking past all the time, and rarely see someone noticing the stones, let alone taking Fotos.’ He shared how he has Jewish-German background and both his Grandmothers were transported to Auschwitz. It was apt, as the marker we were looking at also showed someone who had died in Auschwitz. We spent a few moments talking about the extraordinary history of this amazing city. I continued to my destination with a happy heart, filled with gratitude for my life, for the freedom I possess to live where I choose, live how I choose, with the only limitations being those I create for myself. I am blessed, and I always want to remember this.
Sometimes, life brings us stumbling stones–little hiccups designed to invite us to slow down, take a moment and reflect on our life, our path, our journey. Stumbling stones can be frustrating because they seem to interrupt our flow. Yet they are messages from our soul, urging us to pay attention.
Often, stumbling stones show up when things are going great in life…and there is a very good reason for this. When we experience trauma which we’re unable to process–because all of our energy is consumed with meeting our basic survival needs–our subconscious mind will file this memory away, supressing it from our conscious awareness. Later, when we get our act together and things are going great in life, our soul presents us with a stumbling stone, knowing we now have all the resources to resolve that old trauma.
Stumbling stones contain pure gold, beautiful learnings from your soul which, when you receive them now, allow you to step into a higher level of performance, effectiveness and happiness. They are one way in which your soul communicates with you.
Perhaps you have a stumbling stone in your life right now? Maybe an issue in a relationship or a job decision or a health crisis? If so, you might like to ask yourself, ‘What is my soul wanting to tell me or show me? What information is it giving me? If I knew, what would it be?’
Then listen or watch or get a feeling for the answer, the information which comes to you–often subtly. Your soul always desires to show you a way through.
And, if you’re ever in Berlin, or you live here, it’s possible you might also find it profound to locate one of these stumbling stone gold markers…to remember your freedom, your choices and how blessed you are to be living on this planet, loving and learning and celebrating life in all of its glorious forms. Because being alive really is a magnificent privilege… no matter how it may sometimes appear.