Nourished by the sun.
Refreshed by the rain.
Cradled by the moon.
Lifted by the stars.
Watched over by the animals.
Fed by the earth.
Made resilient in being human.
Unlike any,
Connected to all.
Grateful for this artwork generously shared and created by Susan Kerr.
Flickering hopes.
Embers of struggle.
Burning desire
for connection,
belonging.
Peace sits
beside anguish
in the stillness.
Being
in the not being.
Embracing the shadow
and the light.
Steady and receptive,
I stand ready to support you,
and even absorb some of your
sweat and tears,
But I am not here to
carry your burdens.
I offer a place to pause,
to rest,
to integrate,
to evolve,
to do whatever
you need for you.
I am not here to meet your needs
or to help you learn anything.
I trust that your life is already teaching you.
I am here to create a space where you can
hear your own heart’s whispers,
and discover how to meet your own needs,
knowing you are safe,
and secure,
in exploring the unfolding of your life for you.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Evolving.
Not striving
or seeking forward momentum.
Allowing.
Unfolding.
Remembering
that being
does not require becoming.
Showing up just as is.
Wearing no mask.
Offering no filter.
Boldly displaying flaws as its character.
Inviting a slow awakening of the mind,
a soft unfolding of the heart.
Awe spontaneously cultivated.
The gaze draws from its surface
into its remarkable uniqueness.
Simplicity and complexity
so readily revealed.
The flower doesn’t tell it’s story
It just shows up.
Open.
Exposed.
Unapologetically
doing its work,
filling its space in the world,
just as it is.
Stepping into its beauty,
owning its ridges,
thorns,
needs,
and purpose.
Offering a place for the world to pause,
to connect,
to belong,
to soften.
Slowly.
Steadily.
Evolving.
Not striving.
Perhaps leaning.
Allowing.
Unfolding.
Remembering
that being
does not require becoming.
Tapping against this existing structure,
This sensitive and permiable flesh
That can absorb but a mere fraction of the flow
droplets race towards the stones below,
Dancing,
Leaping,
Diving,
Feeding
Into crevices and
Across surfaces
Colors,
Texture,
Relationship
Shifting.
The stones
Channeling
Nourishment.
Cleansing,
Refreshing.
Meandering down and into the
Outstretched branches,
Receptive soil,
Budding growth.
Like the breath itself,
Subtly finding its way to the spaces Of greatest need without
Discernment or judgment.
Offering healing
Existing as its own force
And somehow blending with everything it touches.
New and invitational
And yet
A familiar and present
Force
Already existing,
Always there.
Within all.
Feeling goodness.
Recognizing capacity for love and joy…
and pain and sorrow…
and confusion and disappointment…
Offering laughter and playfulness…
tears and aching.
Ever grateful.
Still longing.
Inviting.
Learning to receive.
Faith,
not hope,
guides discovery.
Recurring smiles
share space with unsettled emptiness,
offering glimpses of spaciousness.
Trust becomes the compass point,
as surrender calls.
Not giving up,
but diving in.
Relinquishing the tight reins of control
to allow the fullness of life to unfold on its own.
Turning towards the depths of the oceans of stability within,
to exist within it all.
Grateful for this artwork generously created and shared by Matt Buncik.
Murky are the surface waters,
Cold and dark, the mud feels heavy.
Abundant are the obstacles to expanding outward.
Unforgiving crevices entice, yet lead nowhere.
Solitary feels this existence.
And still it is called home.
An unknown force – courage perhaps – fuels a simple cell to activate.
A small stirring and restriction becomes the road map.
Containment provides clarity.
Movement replaces stagnation.
This incubation over.
Growth has begun.
Subtly and silently, a leaf
and then a petal.
More and more petals.
Surfacing.
Outstretching.
Unfolding.
Without ceremony.
So Beautiful.
The blossoming that reveals itself from under the mud and muck.
It begins with a small sliver,
Cresting the horizon.
Barely noticeable at first,
There is a stirring.
Sparks popcorn through the air.
A simultaneous stillness
Accompanied by a deep and profound desire to dance.
Masked by trees, clouds,
And preoccupied vision,
She goes unnoticed at first,
Simply climbing, filling, growing,
Not making any promises
Not asking to be seen.
The wise ones feel her arrival.
And whether attuned or not,
prepared or not,
receptive or not,
She makes her presence known.
Slowly shining more and more brightly,
Occupying more and more space,
Until she cannot be ignored
She ripples through your veins,
She invites wonder and awe.
She offers a compass point through the darkness,
Never imposing a path,
Simply holding the space,
Subtly encouraging your heart
To unlock in ways
Never imagined.
Photo by Jean McDonald
