Do not trust

 

Do not trust how you see yourself

when you are sad.

Just as a mirror that is covered in fog

will eventually clear,

trust that when tears no longer cloud your vision,

you will see yourself clearly once again.

And so you need not see yourself

through the lens of who you once were

or what you presently feel about yourself

but who you are becoming,

for you are never defined

by what happened to you yesterday

as it is not your mistakes that define you

but how you choose to grow from them.

And the person you most wish to be,

that defines who you are becoming,

and the person you are outside of any story:

the actor behind the temporary character that you are playing in life:

that is your true reflection.

Words by Tahlia Hunter

Artwork by Elaine Bayley Illustrations

Source: Tahlia Hunter on Facebook

Somewhere Along The Way - Eddie Dalton

 

Somewhere along the way, I came to realize that life is hard. Not always in dramatic, earth-shattering ways, but in the quiet, ordinary moments that make up our days. Plans unravel. People disappoint us. Our bodies age. We lose things we thought we'd always have and face challenges we never expected to encounter.

It seems every day carries both sunshine and shadows. One moment can bring laughter, a kind word, or an unexpected blessing, while the next may bring worry, frustration, or heartache. Life rarely stays in one place for long. Just when we think we have everything figured out, a new twist appears in the road.

Yet I've also learned that the hardships are only part of the story. The ups and downs, the victories and setbacks, the joys and sorrows are what make living such an adventure. We discover strengths we didn't know we possessed. We learn patience, resilience, and gratitude. We find ourselves appreciating simple things—a bird singing outside the window, a phone call from a friend, the comfort of a familiar place—in ways we never would have if life were always easy.

The older I get, the more I understand that happiness isn't found in a perfect life free of problems. It's found in learning to navigate the imperfect one we've been given. It comes from embracing the journey, trusting that difficult seasons will pass, and recognizing that even on the hardest days there is usually something beautiful waiting to be noticed.

Life is hard, yes. But it is also rich, surprising, and meaningful. And perhaps that is what makes it such a remarkable adventure—the fact that we never truly know what tomorrow will bring, only that we will meet it one day at a time.

~ I can't take credit for writing this beautiful essay. I entered two or three sentences in to ai and asked it to elaborate. I think this is beautiful and it says exactly how I feel.

Welcome to our circus

 

Welcome to our circus

It pulls in quite the crowd

For it charges no admission

And says all welcomed and allowed

We hope that you’ll enjoy it here

But one thing if I may

Once here we’ll tell you what to feel

And think and do and say

We’ll tell you when to smile

And we’ll tell you when to cry

We’ll tell you what is best for you

And try to tell you why

But what’s best for the tiger

Isn’t what’s best for the clown

And the tightrope walker’s main concern

Is falling to the ground

For some it’s no big deal

And for some it’s life and death

But we all are playing Ringmaster

And thinking we know best

And if you dare to disagree

And if you speak your mind

We’ll attack behind our curtain

Whilst on stage we roar #bekind

We’ll tell you that you’re wrong

Although we’ll never hear your point

For we’re far too busy listening

To our own self-righteous voice

So welcome to our circus

Where you’re criticised for free

But whoops, did I say circus?

I meant society

*****

Becky Hemsley 2020

Artwork by Evelyn Edmeades

This poem is from Talking to the Wild

Source: Becky Hemsley Poetry on Facebook

Living A Simpler Life

 

Living A Simpler Life

The simpler your life,

the happier you will be.

Not because life becomes easier,

but because less stands between you

and the miracle of being alive.

When the mind is free of clutter,

the heart remembers its own rhythm.

When there is space in the day,

peace has somewhere to rest.

We spend years gathering things,

until our days grow crowded

and our souls grow tired.

Then one morning we discover

that peace was never lost.

It was waiting beneath the weight

of all we carried.

To live simply is not to live less.

It is to return to what matters.

And perhaps happiness is simply arriving fully where you are,

carrying only what is needed,

and finding that what remains

is simply enough.

~ 'Living A Simpler Life' by Spirit of a Hippie

~Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Faithful Grace

Restore The Broken - Face To Face (Zach Williams Cover)

 

Face To Face

by Zach Williams

Album: Rescue Story

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

When we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Verse 1

Oh, I'm a traveler far from home

I get lost but I press on

There's a mansion in streets of gold

Where I belong

Verse 2

Yes, there's a day coming soon

Where the old will be made new

And Heaven's glory shines like the morning

Before our eyes

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

When we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Verse 3

Then we will sing with angel voices

There will be a great rejoicing

Holy holy, worthy worthy

Is the Lamb, oh

Chorus

When we all see Jesus

Yes, when we all see Jesus

No more sickness, no more madness, no more pain

When we all see Jesus face to face

Yeah, when we all see Jesus face to face

I'm at peace.

Source: Stephanie Bennett-Henry on Facebook

ai artwork by me

 

They Ground You

 

The Right People Don't Drain You; They Ground You

The right people don't drain you; they ground you.

They show up like shade on a warm afternoon, like rain falling softly on thirsty earth.

With them, you do not have to perform the exhausting ritual of proving your worth.

You do not have to polish your wounds, translate your silences, or carry your heart as evidence for your existence.

You are allowed to simply be.

And in that permission, something sacred happens.

The breath deepens.

The shoulders soften.

The mind loosens its grip on all the things it was never meant to carry alone.

The right people are not those who demand your energy to keep themselves warm.

They are those who sit beside your fire without asking you to burn brighter.

They do not pull you away from yourself.

They return you to yourself.

Again and again.

Like roots finding water.

Like a river remembering the shape of its own bed.

Like a bird, after a long season of wandering, recognizing the way home.

Their presence is not loud, but life-giving.

Not consuming, but nourishing.

Not a constant taking, but a gentle exchange where both souls leave with more than they brought.

And perhaps that is how you know.

Not by the intensity.

Not by the drama.

Not by how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice.

But by the peace.

By the quiet settling of your spirit.

By the way your heart stops bracing for impact.

By the way you leave their presence not smaller,

not emptied,

not exhausted,

but rooted.

Steady.

Whole.

More yourself than before.

And in a world that often mistakes chaos for connection,

that kind of grounding is its own form of love.

~ 'The Right People Don't Drain You; They Ground You' by Spirit of a Hippie

Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Michelle Johnson

Source: Spirit of a Hippie on Facebook