Your Story Matters

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A friend hears your soul

Your grief and deepest longings

It refreshes you

~

These are the friends that I need

They always greet you with joy

They remind you of their love

They know my dark side

~~

There is a strange paradox

One that I cannot explain

It’s a mystery of love

Modeled in a friend

~

Words are a doorway

To the mystery of soul

When spoken in their context

Understanding comes

Knowledge will become a bridge

I will take time to listen

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A bridge over confusion

Higher than criticism

It’s big enough to carry

Providing safety

~

Rest is what I need

I’ve been searching for that place

Now I have found it

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I can pass it on

To others when I listen

Not quick to give my answers

Understand their words

Silent but fully present

Giving them honor and love

~

I will wait for them to ask

If they want to hear a way

That I found through listening

In silence I hear

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In silence I am aware

Of the air I am breathing

I then become so thankful

When I take a breath

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I begin with thanksgiving

For the simple things of life

My eyes, my ears, my feelings

Wake me up to life

~

My mind then asks questions

That come to me at the time

Then I follow those questions

Process them with friends

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There is one question

It is one I have pondered

What to do with death

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When you are ready to look

Search with all your senses

Give yourself plenty of time

Truth will set you free

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There are different 

Kinds of death to examine

One is physical

Another is relational

Relationships are hardest

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It’s easy to die

It is much harder to live

I will be in discussion

On how to live well

In relationship with friends

And also my enemy

~~~

I am not afraid

I have learned that I can think

And process this life journey

Others have done it

So there’s no reason I can’t~
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I will not die, I will live

And share the things I have learned

To those who want to listen

I will wait in peace

~

The doorway to rest

I have learned to be thankful

For the little things

~

One little thing that I heard

Was said to me by a friend

His words I’ll never forget

“Do not be afraid”

~~~

Friends were gifts in my despair

In the darkness of my soul

They came loving me gently

Giving me real hope

~

written May 24, 2009