Quiet Reflections and Prayers
To my surprise,
the real magic of life
didn’t come
in neatly wrapped packages
or at the end a long path.
It came in the last bit
of courage to hold on
a little longer
and to take
just one more step —
not knowing where
it would lead.
It came in the quiet,
tender moments
I couldn’t have planned
and couldn’t imagine
having missed.
Just past my thoughts
of healing,
beyond the stories
on the surface
or perhaps in the middle —
a little deeper down
where pain merges
with tenderness,
I found the me
I once lost,
this me
underneath.
And so I stood still
in my heart,
surrounded by the many
thoughts I had gathered
and set free —
the quiet whispers
that had led me
ever so gently
back to this sacred space.
And I found my prayers
had always existed here —
without the words.
From a quiet prayer,
I set off
on the sacred journey
to the center of my
deepest heart,
turning away from
and letting go of memories
of paths not taken
and steps I couldn’t yet see
as they appeared
again and again
without fail —
always leading me
most directly —
back to my purest Self.
When there is nothing
more to say,
when all I can do
is let go
and listen
to the silence,
I will wait —
knowing that you will
meet me in this place —
beyond the words.
I settled in
to the silence
I had both longed for
and feared.
And though it felt
unfamiliar at first,
I couldn’t help
falling into the purity
of love
and natural rhythm
of life
I found there —
just beneath the surface.
I set down my shield
from the pain of this life
in exchange for the raw beauty
I found within.
And in one moment,
I found enough strength
to carry me through
a lifetime.
I continued on —
holding and honoring
and letting go
of all that appeared
until there was nothing
I couldn’t meet
with love
and rise above.
If I must choose
a thing to be in this world,
let me be a prayer —
a whisper —
that I might float freely
on the wind
and always find my way
to your heart
and mine.
In my search for healing,
I found I could stand
in anything.
I found I could
remain connected
with my deepest heart,
even when the reflection I saw
didn’t match —
when holding it
tired my tireless spirit
and letting go wasn’t an option
just yet.
And there, in that holding,
I found I could
never be broken.
Laurie's Notes 