Quiet Reflections and Prayers
With all of the pieces
gathered up,
after having glimpsed
the true peace
at the bottom of
the deep abyss below,
I let go
of everything
and jumped.
I stopped seeking,
stopped questioning,
stopped trying
to know the exact right
way to do it.
This time,
I trusted the pieces
to fall where they needed
to fall.
And I held on
to the beautiful
emptiness in the very center
of my heart instead.
In my darkest moment,
when I thought
I was most lost,
I received the most
precious gift —
the subtle knowing
of the exact, perfect mix
of holding
and letting go
at once.
For a time,
I seemed to lose
the sacred ground
of my deepest heart,
the place where
subtle knowing
is heard louder
than words.
What a beautiful discovery
to look back
and know
this place as me.
Finally there was
no more path —
except to turn around
and stand still
in my heart.
— Laurie, from earlier notes
When you reach
a quiet place
and there is sadness,
when the world seems
a little too intense again,
close your eyes
and remember
the softness of your soul.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
Because I had tired
of the endless searching,
I dared to go
to the edge —
past the pieces
I had tried to fit
together and arrange,
beyond the chaos
on the surface
and below,
not giving up,
not waiting for
one more minute
or one more
reason to turn back —
determined to
find my way
to the very center
of my heart
in that very moment —
where there was calm.
In the calmest part
of my heart,
that which
in all the shattering
couldn’t be broken,
there is solace —
here.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
As the challenges
and transformations
of this life
continue to be,
help us to remember
what is most true,
to have courage
to move in the direction
of truth,
to see from a higher place
and to feel
from below the surface —
to remain firmly
rooted in
a love unmatched
and unaffected by anything
in this world
but its own clear reflection.
Amen
I found
a little magic
in my willingness
to stand still
in my heart,
moving past
the intense places,
through the uncomfortable,
in-between times —
having just enough
courage to keep
showing up
and continuing on.
For the times
when there is nothing
left to do
but keep walking through,
when every word
we would try to say
couldn’t honor
the courage it takes
to just keep quiet
in our hearts
and keep walking,
when all attempts
to explain or sort
only seem
to make it worse —
for these times,
I offer this
living prayer.
Amen
Laurie's Notes 