I hold this space
within
in honor of all that has
yet to be loved,
holding what is here
as it appears
in me,
as it appears in the world,
as it is in all of us —
as it is.
— Laurie, Healer of My Own Heart
Quiet Reflections and Prayers
I hold this space
within
in honor of all that has
yet to be loved,
holding what is here
as it appears
in me,
as it appears in the world,
as it is in all of us —
as it is.
— Laurie, Healer of My Own Heart
For the times
when there are
no words
to express what is
in our hearts,
give us courage
to hold
the quiet spaces
in-between.
Amen
I found
my deepest comfort
in the sinking down
into the places
I had tried so hard
to heal.
I found peace
in the willingness
to look a little past
what was appearing
on the surface
and in the subtle shift
from the desire
to heal
into the desire to hold
with honor.
It was in the willingness
to stand still
for just a moment
when there was no time
to stand still,
to stop trying so hard
to be better,
to meet whatever appeared —
even if it was nothing
at all.
It was in the persistence
of holding my ground —
even if that very ground
seemed shakey
and dissolved
into the nothing.
It was here
that I found a peace
that never left.
At a certain point,
it became clear
that relief must come
at once,
in the form of
a respite,
an unspoken truce —
in the middle of
all that remained
unhealed
and unsettled.
And so I entered
the place beyond thought.
And though the energy
of what was held there
was often intense,
it was always tender
to sink a little
further in,
to be willing
to allow the uneasiness
to be there
and to subside,
to see this place
outside of me —
to be okay
no matter what.
I found
it was possible
to hold
all that appeared
for however long,
however intense
life on the surface became —
however hard it shook.
I found it was possible
to hold my ground
a little deeper down
and to reach
a little further out.
I found all things
were shifted
with this willingness
to be
in a state of prayer.
It may not look,
at times,
like much is happening
at all.
But I am still here,
listening
to silence,
holding this nothing
you can’t see
until it transforms
into something beautiful.
I found it was
possible to walk through
whatever appeared
on the surface of life.
I found comfort
in my ability
to hold and honor
my own experience,
meeting the outer world
with renewed compassion —
trusting
it was safe
to remain connected
with the natural
stillness within
when the contrast
seemed most vast.
I wondered how long
I could be
in the stillness
of my heart
and in a healing world.
But I had walked
the edge
and let go of
the space within.
And I had found
my way back.
And so I vowed
to hold the gap
in-between us
for as long as it took —
until we were one.
I began to trust
the place in me
that knew how to listen
with my heart,
not taking in
so deeply
all that had been
too much —
holding space
for all that fit
just right.