Quiet Reflections and Prayers
I set out to share
my own story
in my own way,
dropping the details
little by little —
until all that remained
was the most sacred layer —
the sacred journey
into the heart.
And so I entered
this state of prayer
and found my deepest comfort
where I had been
afraid to look.
I think we have hearts
because it was seen
that we might need
a safe place to go
when thoughts and life
became too much
to sort through alone.
And so we hold
this heart space
for each other —
where there is
always calm,
where we are
always okay,
always held —
just as we are.
May we find courage
to stop looking outside
and within
for something
to hide what is
most pure —
that we may find
true and lasting love
in each moment —
in your heart and mine.
And may we find
strength to hold it
together.
Amen
Listening happened
in my heart,
in my whole body,
without the need
for the constant noise
of trying so hard
or working it all out.
Experiencing happened
more naturally,
often out of
many different experiences
at once,
and organized itself
into understanding
beyond thought —
within this quiet space.
One of the most
beautiful treasures
of the heart,
was the complete awe
in finding
the empty space
where energies I had
tried so hard
to struggle against
had simply fallen away.
And in that awe,
every connection,
every thought —
every moment
was enough
exactly as it was.
Living out of
my heart
is a little different
than living out of
the continuous stories
of the mind.
It’s quieter here,
the kind of quiet
that takes a little
readjusting.
But I continue to find
great treasures
as I remember
more and more
of how to navigate again
in this space.
I found there is
a natural rhythm
of life,
one we lose touch with
when we find ourselves
living in our thoughts
or trying to create
just the right
circumstances
or feeling state —
trying to figure out
or find
something to make
this life
more predictable
so that it all makes
some kind of sense.
But I found the deepest
kind of peace
in returning to this
most natural rhythm
of life.
And so I allow
my words
to find their own way —
that they might
reflect this natural rhythm
and remind us
what it feels like
to be alive and free.
Since I was a little girl,
I saw there was
more to life
than what we could see
on the surface.
And so I found myself
looking for the deeper story
in everything.
I wasn’t interested so much
in memorizing lines
and verses.
I wanted to feel
where the story
was coming from.
And so I did.
And then I experienced
what it was like
to be unable to feel
this deeper story
for a while
and struggled to find
my way back again —
so that I could share
my own story
in my own way.
It doesn’t matter
how many challenges
we are faced with.
It doesn’t matter
if I don’t know
how or when
the pain will lift
or what will show up
that will soften
your heart
and mine
I only know
that it will —
because I have been
to the place
of in-between.
And I have walked
straight through.
Underneath
all of the noise,
past the misunderstandings
and old wounds
and even older traumas,
there is pure longing,
not to be fixed,
but to be loved.
And so I take hold
of this place in me.
And if I must
reassure it
in every
moment
forever,
I will.
— Laurie, Healer of My Own Heart
Laurie's Notes 