Dear Friend,
The gift came without asking, taking me by surprise. I found myself reflected back in your eyes, trusting myself to believe.
I stand strong while accepting a vulnerability I haven't allowed before. I believe in myself again, calm in the eye of the storm knowing I can survive any possible future.
I am now capable of loving unconditionally and letting go when it's time. I never thought I could hold space for another without fear of losing myself. You gave me a safe place to love you quickly and fully while keeping my boundaries in view.
You gave me the gift of your honesty, openness, the raw passion of being. Though our time is fleeting and soon to be a fading memory, the gift of seeing myself through you will endure forever.
Dear Friend,
Make room. Make room in your life for happiness, laughter and joy. Make room to feel sorrow, and the ability to let it go when you are ready. Make room for what you need, what you want, what you desire.
My friend, I know it has been too long since you have taken care of yourself, you are always there for others first. You pride yourself on being the strong one, on being the best friend/family member you can be. Others have always leaned on you, even when you were struggling to stand up tall. You knew you could carry the burden, you could handle the pain.
Make room for someone to share your trials, tribulations and most of all your happiness. When you have shut everyone out for so long, it can seem impossible to change those habits that feel hardened into stone.
You have put aside your dreams and desires despite the sacrifice necessary to keep your happiness at bay. You
have paid the price in lost friendships, broken romance, and forgotten opportunities. You tell yourself it's easier to keep your distance, you know how to stand alone.
Make room to breath. You are afraid to clear out a space, afraid it will stay empty. Afraid the walls will echo, and the space will be filled with more pain.
Make room in your life for all of this. You are sad and heartbroken because you can't see your way to happiness, though it's simple. You have so little time to yourself, so little time to regroup and recharge. You are afraid the time you have set aside will be gone, and you will spend it trying to please yet another person.
Make room my friend, you will find that you can fill it with whatever you want, even a resounding joy that has been missing in your song.
You yearn for that person you can lean on, who will catch you when you fall. Despite that, you push away those that would hold your hand in the night, wipe away your tears without judgment. You feel you cannot trust anyone but yourself, others have always let you down.
My friend, I am here to hold your hand, wipe away your tears, and stand strong by your side. You only need to ask.
Dear Friend,
I wish you didn't have to go, I want to be selfish and keep you by my side until the next sunrise. We talked about the past and the future, as if we had all the time in the world. The end was here before the beginning took shape; leaving us yearning for more time, more touch, more breath.
The appetite of what we shared melts my heart. We gave our truth without remorse, our souls touched while our bodies entwined. Your being fit into mine with such ease and comfort, like it was meant to be. Our time together was filled with wonder and surprise like a unexpected gift from a stranger.
Come back to me when you are ready for a safe place to relax after braving all the world's pain. We will hold hands and talk about better times, those we shared together.
Dear Friend,
I found God in the face of a lost child, searching for the truth in her Mother's voice. She listened closely and reached out to touch the hand that had slipped from hers.
I found God in the eyes of a homeless man, looking for comfort from the bitter cold. He wandered away wearing his coat like a robe of broken dreams.
I found God in the voice of a stranger. They told me a story of fear and loss overcome; they hid their sorrow behind a park bench for a beggar to find.
I found God in my lover's arms. He caught me as I fell for him, pulling me into his chest where I could hear his heart beating.
I found God in the cry of a hawk searching for it's next prey. The world is for those that wish to grab ahold and take charge of their destiny.
I found God in my darkest hour. He was here with me, keeping the space for me to heal and mend.
I found God.
Dear Friend,
Let your light shine through. Walk with dignity and pride, leaving a wake of kindness in your path. Your inner beauty is always there, glimmering like a star through the clouds.
By sharing your grace you can influence others, creating a happier place with just a smile. You don't know how powerful you really are, though others can sense it from a distance.
Shine with the love you carry in your heart, open your arms and share it. Can you feel it? You have such an impact on the world, creating a window into a future that sings with happiness.
There will be times when you need to recharge and return to solitude, that is a healthy way to create your own sacred space. Keep your center as you walk through the world, and others will follow. You don't need to do anything; be yourself.
Let your light shine through my friend, bring grace, beauty and love into the world by just being you.
Dear Friend,
Remind me why I chose you, you played along with smiley faces and hand puppets made from dirty socks. I created a space for you, you filled it with darkness and empty promises.
Remind me why I gave you my heart though I wasn't sure you would keep it safe. When I broke free, I discovered you had kept it hidden behind the dresser as a souvenir of our time together.
Remind me why I said no. No more of your inconsistent attention, broken promises and shattered dreams. You hung your victories on the wall like trophies of battles won.
Remind me how I broke free from your iron grip, only to fall back into your clutches again and again. When I finally walked away, you cheerfully waved good bye as if I was only leaving the room.
Remind me why I cried for love lost, love never found. You shared a small part of your heart with me, but kept the best for yourself.
Now, I chose myself over you.
Remind me.......
Dear Friend,
Lean in and put your head on my shoulder. Gain comfort knowing that I will always be there for you. I wish I could give you everything you need and want, I will do my best to give you happiness and security.
I will hold your hand, and reassure you when you are feeling down. Nothing lasts forever, and these hard times will pass as well. You are stronger than you know, just breathe and believe.
Lean in and listen while I whisper tales of better times, loving friends, and rainbows painted with vibrant colors. Forget about your fears for a moment, dream big!
I will give you my best, and help you break through the doors keeping you from your greatest joy. The challenges we face create growth, however painful they may seem at the time. The other side is a bolder world, a new stronger you.
Lean in my friend, I have your back.
Dear Friend,
I forgive you for not being your best. You have been through so much, and you haven't grown from the trauma of past hurts.
I forgive you for hurting me. You couldn't see beyond your own pain to give anyone else the love and acceptance you craved.
I forgive you for being lost, alone and scared. Though you may never admit it, you can't accept weakness in yourself or others.
I forgive you for keeping your secrets. I know how hard it is to trust, you couldn't see beyond those that had broken your confidence in the past.
I forgive you for keeping your distance. I could see right through you, and that can be scary.
I forgive you, I hope you find your way back.
Dear Friend,
Love is given, trust is earned.
To love you is easy, I see the joy you bring to your life and others close to you. You have a special place in my heart, a place not many reach. You didn't run when I showed you the cracks in my
faith. Someday I might trust you with the deepest fissures in my soul. You melt my resolve with your touch, you reveal my truth with your eyes.
We met when my heart was
breaking, and my spirit was torn. I thought my heart needed to be empty in order to mend. I
am truly blessed to have taken the time to reach out and find something
so precious. My life is richer with your presence, I
yearn for the days when I catch a glimpse of your smile and feel your
arms around me.
There is relief in knowing my heart can be full while keeping it safe
from breaking again.
Just because I love you doesn't mean I trust you with my essence. I am learning to trust myself, knowing I can hold steady and observe until intentions become clear. I am learning that I can take a calculated risk and not lose it all on a long shot.
My trust is saved for a season when you earn it, the price is time and effort. I watch, I learn, I observe how you are with me and others. Time and experience can show more than words, showing me how you choose to live in the world.
Dear Friend,
The lessons I have learned this year have created a new direction. My inner guide is singing with joy, and dancing in the living room when no one is watching. May you find inspiration in my words, may you find solace and light.
Resistance to change creates more resistance.
Relax and read the signs, pushing a door that is marked PULL will not open the door to success, only create frustration. Create your own fortune by relaxing into the NOW and enjoying the scenery.
Breathing isn't optional.
When life gets hectic, stop and take a deep breath, and then take another one. Until you are calm.
Naps as an adult are pretty cool.
Unless you wake up wondering what century it is or where you left your socks. Allow yourself to swim in a sea of possibilities, meditate and create.
Be kind, smile a lot and talk to random strangers.
Your energy changes the energy of those around you. The most interesting stories come from a passing conversation in the parking lot.
Don't give up. Ever.
Create your own story, mistakes are only failures if you miss the opportunity to use them as stepping stones to a better view.
Trust yourself. Always.
Your gut is never wrong, though sometimes we want it to be. Just because you want something doesn't mean its good for you. Trust yourself to know the difference.
Dear Friend,
A little birdie came to visit me today. He flew in the window when I opened it to let in a breeze. I wanted him to leave, he came closer instead. He landed on my finger, and said not a word. He seemed tired, so tired of life and the things he had seen.
I wanted to set him free, I wanted him to fly away and find a different life, one with happiness and joy. His sorrow was too much to bear for his little heart, he sat on the counter and looked at me.
I wonder if he wanted to tell me something, something I needed to hear. I wonder if he lost his way, and was resting before trying again. Where were his friends, what did he need? I stood by feeling helpless, then this little birdie became my friend.
A little birdie came to visit me today. Then, he flew away.
Dear Friend,
Today is the day to take charge, imagine new possibilities, make things happen. Believe in your dreams, create a new path to success. You have waited long enough, it's time to manifest your destiny.
Your fear is a ghost keeping you from your greatest potential, brush it aside and stride toward the future. Bring your best battle cry, wear your finest superpower and capture the rainbow. You have paid your dues, taken your vows, and made your sacrifices. The time is now, put those experiences beneath your feet and use them as stepping stones to your future.
Today is the day my friend! Go forth - dream, create, imagine, and walk boldly into your new reality.
Dear Friend,
My Friend, you are so beautifully broken.
All your pieces bent and twisted, a mosaic of life carved out of sorrow and regret. Shattered and destroyed so deeply by your past, your
future seems lonely and love forsaken. I see your injured soul, your
frightened determination to keep out the demons of bygone mistakes.
The fear and mistrust keep you from experiencing the love you can have, just a breath away. I see your yearning, the bitter taste of past disappointment keeping you locked away in the dungeon of your own creation. You don't realize the chains that bind you are made of misunderstandings and regret.
You are so beautifully broken, like a stained glass masterpiece created from the splintered shards discarded after an unspoken promise is shattered. Standing alone in your pain, no one allowed close enough to touch your essence.
Time and again life has tossed you into the waves of despair and you have drowned without a safe haven. I feel your desolation, trapping you beneath a sea of sorrow.
Pause a moment my broken friend, breathe in and feed your heart and soul with an unending acceptance of you - as you are.
Breathe, trust and step into a beautiful tomorrow.
Dear Friend,
My dear, you have arrived! You have found your power and joy, you are no longer afraid of what you might become.
You are accepting your reality, creating beautiful growth from what used to be paralyzing pain. You have learned to speak your truth with love, and hold the pain of another in your heart without being overwhelmed by it.
Lucky you! You have touched a deep joy many yearn for at the core of their being. Better yet, you are lifting up those around you effortlessly just by being yourself.
What a beautiful gift you have my friend, it grows each time you give it away. There will be moments of self doubt and pain, you are only human after all. When those times happen, reach out and touch your faith, it's there for you too.
Don't be afraid of your power, you were given this gift for a reason. Let your intuition guide you toward your greatest good.
Break down the walls of shame and sorrow, melt away the years of darkness.
Be kind, love hard, share joy.
You my friend ARE the gift.
Dear Friend,
I didn't realize, I didn't know. I thought I was free when I left you. I thought I had healed, I thought I was whole after I walked away. I couldn't see the damage you had done, so clear to those on the outside.
They were silent until now, in the aftermath.
I know you didn't mean to, you abused yourself as much as me. You didn't consider the pain your actions caused. I still flinch when someone reaches out, I freeze when asked how I feel.
I thought I was safe, until the aftermath.
I couldn't see that I was your emotional punching bag, until after I walked away. I told myself you loved me, you just didn't know how to show it. I told myself I had gotten past the torment.
After years of emotional abuse I am numb, until the aftermath.
I didn't want to believe you meant what you said, I didn't want to feel the pain you caused. I thought I had found security and love, I thought you were different.
That doesn't change the scars left behind, in the aftermath.
I gave you my all, my love my heart my trust.
You told me I wanted too much, you gave so little.
I thought if I just tried again, gave more, asked for less.
You didn't have enough to give, not even for yourself.
Now I know, in the aftermath.
Now I am alone, and realize I always have been.
You were never there, you couldn't give love when you didn't have it for yourself. Maybe I thought I could heal you, maybe you thought I could too.
I am letting go, rebuilding myself in the aftermath.
Dear Friend,
Our hearts are like a puzzle box that can only be opened through some obscure, complicated series of manipulations. Some boxes may require only a simple squeeze in the correct
area, whereas others may require the subtle movement of several small
parts to open the box. Inside the box is a secret - a secret to your heart.
At times we break apart the puzzle box so we can put the pieces back together in a different order. The key to moving forward is to not lose the pieces to the box, but keep it whole until the next time to open the puzzle box. The puzzle becomes new, and the trick to opening it is different.
Truth, loyalty and love open the puzzle box, these are the keys to the secret kept within. Once open, the puzzle box may seem solved, but it takes effort to keep the pieces together. Without each piece, the heart begins to fade, and the breaking apart begins to create a new puzzle. Like a lost dream, the pieces of the puzzle box fade and change into a new mystery. The box closes again, and the puzzle box holds a new secret.
Dear Friend.... Its been a while, and a long journey to here.
Today, I
want to talk about divorce. People's reactions are based on their own
perception and experience. They can't change that, its like breathing.
Regardless of your opinion, Be KIND.
You don't know what the situation
was like, nor do you know the reasons/experiences leading up to a
decision to follow through. What you believe is less important than what
you do when someone says they are going through a divorce.
Try not to
judge, regardless of how much you know about that person or the
situation, you don't know the whole story.
Note: This post was originally written on November 17,
2014
Copyright © 2015, Sandra J Oliver. All rights reserved
Dear friend,
You may never know how much your opinion matters to me, or
when something you say will resound deeply in my soul.
There
are times when I feel lost, alone and unsure where to
turn. I trust I can turn to you for an unfiltered opinion, or just a shoulder to cry on if that's what I need.
There
are few people in my life I trust with my deepest thoughts, and you are
one of them. Thank you for listening..
Note: This post was originally written on June 8,
2014
