The Power of “Something from Nothing”
Reflections from the desk of a Jungian Psychoanalyst
Robin B. Zeiger, Ph.D.
I must confess. I love children’s picture books that speak to us across the generations. My children are grown, and I now am blessed with opportunity to read to grandchildren. A favorite pastime of mine is to peruse new bookstores for particularly beautiful and inspirational stories.
One of my favorites is a book by Phoebe Gilman; Something from Nothing. It is adapted from a Jewish folktale. With beautiful illustrations, Gilman tells the story of a special gift to a little boy named Joseph. Joseph’s grandfather made him a wonderful blanket for two important reasons. One was to keep him warm. But the second was to chase away bad dreams. As a Jungian, I love that reason. It is such a basic human need to hold something close to us while we sleep.
Night is archetypally a time of anxiety and fear. It is tied so deeply to the unconscious. If we trust our psyche enough, we can drop our anxieties into the night; allowing our dream world to work while we sleep. Building this trust sometimes takes a lifetime. Dreams are not simple; sometimes they are very scary. Yet, they also bless us with knowledge, inspiration, and a way to work through our conflicts and fears.
Throughout our lives we need to hold and hug and cuddle people and things. Babies begin with Mom and sometimes Dad.
For those of lucky enough to find soulmates we have another human to cuddle and wake up when we have adult nightmares. But there are years in-between babyhood and coupling. Children, who are more vulnerable, are often left to sleep alone. Soft blankets, fluffy pillows, stuffed animals and treasured pets often help.
In the story Something from Nothing, the blanket became worn and frazzled and unsightly. And Mom did not understand. She wanted to throw it out. Grandpa, as the Wise Old Man, came to the rescue.
He snipped and sewed and made it into a jacket. And as you can guess the jacket became small and worn. Mom did not learn. She threatened to throw it out. Once again, the Wise Old Man made it into a vest. And the vest became a tie. And the tie became a handkerchief. And the handkerchief became a button. Each time the item becomes worn, Mom is skeptical and wants to throw the worn-out treasure away. But each time Grandpa comes to rescue and recreates something from almost nothing. Like all good stories, this one must include a real crisis. Sadly, one day, the button was lost.
Joseph ran to find his grandfather to fix it. His mother said, “Even your grandfather can’t make something from nothing.” And for once, Grandpa agreed.
As some of the most wonderful children’s stories end, the child must solve the most important dilemma. Joseph discovered the answer from deep within. He went to school and created the story of the blanket for his fellow friends to hear.
Good children’s stories also speak to the adults. They reach across generations. Life is a collection of stories.
Why do I like this as a psychotherapist? The journey of therapy, like so much of life, is built from pieces of stories.
Patients enter the room with all types of stories. Some vivid and powerful. Others confusing. The crucial messages are hidden deep inside. The therapy process gradually coaxes and welcomes the missing pieces of the puzzle into the room via dreams, images and recovered memories.
We need blankets and coats and vests and buttons. We need Wise Old Men and Wise Old Women. We need the next generation in children and youth to offer new solutions to inspire us.
We pass down stories and mythology over the generations. Sometimes the stories also become our own. We need the next generation to pass them on. Don’t forget to create something from nothing.
Please follow me and discover articles on mindfulness, finding peace in difficult times, Jung, longing and the Little Prince, Black Lives Matter, Amanda Gorman’s poetry and childhood nostalgia such as lighthouses and ice-cream trucks.One of my favorites is Dark Feet & Dark Wings: Wendell Berry’s Wisdom for Difficult Times.
Robin B. Zeiger is a practicing Jungian psychoanalyst, a certified Sandplay therapist, and a free-lance writer.
She is a member of the:
International Association of Analytical Psychology the Israel Institute of Jungian Psychology and president of the Israel Therapists Sandplay Association. She can be reached at rbzeiger@yahoo.com.
