reflecting on the year

On my way back from Owensboro today I made a stop in Louisville to visit with a near and dear friend. A soul sister in the sweetest of ways.

There was deep appreciation.
And hearty laughs.
There was so much deliciousness in our recent stories of the spirit that one latte alone would not suffice.

We made a quick trip to the the local bookstore. A quick trip that resulted in me buying three new books of poetry. I was so enthralled with these words that my eyes landed upon in opening "Letters to a Young Poet" that I immediately dog eared the page so I could quickly come back to at as soon as I got home.

Here they are for you to enjoy and ponder:

"You have had many great sorrows, which have passed away. And you say that even this passing was difficult and jarring for you. But please consider whether these great sorrows have not passed through the midst of yourself? Whether much in you has not altered, whether you have not somehow changed in some part of your being, while you were sorrowful?

Therefore it is, also, that the sorrow passes by us: the new thing in us, that has been added to us, has entered into our heart, has gone into its innermost chamber, and is no more even there, is already in the blood. And we do not realize what it was. We could easily be made to believe that nothing had happened, and yet we have been changed, as a house is changed into which a guest has entered. We cannot say who has come, perhaps we shall never know, but there are many indications to suggest that the future is entering into us in this manner in order to transform itself within us long before it happened."

And so here I sit in my bed...
A new candle burning (thanks Mama Tessandori)
Two mini chocolates on the nightstand and a hot cuppa chamomile vanilla tea.
Three new books of poetry.
An Oasis of Stillness.
A ganesha notebook to fill with questions and answers.
As I reflect back on this year of.....

sorrow
sparkle
triumph
courage
fear
clarity
trust
wisdom
bravery
anger
frustration
magic
surrender
hope
love
broken
wholeness
pride

Oh 2011 you have rocked my world in every way I could imagine.

I bow to You and your mysterious ways.

I trust that the experiences I've had, the people I've met, the places I've traveled, the lessons I've learned, and the aha's I've received will bend, shape, and mold me into the person I most need to be.

*Photo by Jennifer Christman*