Quiet Reflections and Prayers
I learned the value of
tenderness and became willing to
set down many things in exchange for
a deeper connection with life.
I knew without a doubt that
whatever appeared would eventually lead
back to a tender place in my own heart.
And so I became willing to bear the ache
of leftover traces of unhealed and
unresolved experiences —
to be in a place where there are
no guarantees —
to show up in each moment
with a quiet prayer and renewed reverence
for the sacred journey,
however it unfolded.
I learned there is nothing
comparable to the strength
of the human spirit
when aligned with its creator
and wililling, win or lose,
to protect all that is innocent,
sacred and true.
I learned there is no greater joy
or frightening responsibility
than the vow to preserve
something sacred,
no matter what —
or to hold and honor what had
once been threatened,
knowing nothing could ever
divide what is and has always been
forever, divinely
connected and united.
Healing my own heart
was a delicate process
of looking within
and gently holding
all of the parts
of my whole self
with the purest
love —
with the help of
my own inner healer
and each tiny piece
that courageously
showed up
to offer its own
unique set of
skills gathered
though an often painful,
incredibly sacred
human soul journey.
And so I stood
as the shattered pieces
of a self finding
its own heart.
There was a
quieting
in the midst
of the chaos
as it began
to sense
the different way
truth was felt
here,
the way it
flowed out
of all of its pieces —
the way it led
gently
into the place of
emptiness,
how it was moved
by the natural beauty
and delicate balance
of the very ground
of its own being —
where it was humbled
and without words
for a moment–
careful
not to impose.
I began to
listen a little
more deeply,
noticing without
forming thought
too soon.
I found myself
safely grounded
in the sacred space
of my heart.
I could feel
when truth was
spoken
and recognize
my own true
voice rising
out of the silent
spaces I had longed for
and feared.
And I knew I could
filter it out of
any amount of noise
and clutter.
I wish to reflect
all that is soft,
to offer my love
to all that is not —
to remind us
of the sacredness
of the journey
and the beauty
in the transformation.
— Laurie, What’s Right Here
Once I vowed
to hold
this empty space
for as long
as it took —
until something
beautiful appeared.
That was before
I realized it was
this empty space
and this holding
that is most sacred
and beautiful.
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 hold this space
in my heart,
this once forgotten place,
in honor of all that is
gentle and soft
and all that is mysterious
and unloved –
knowing that,
in this place,
nothing else is needed.
— from earlier notes
Laurie's Notes 