New year upon us, come softly. We bring no seeds of vain intention, but give what remains of our battle-worn hearts. Through loss, through fright, through sickness and uncertainty, we have walked as vulnerable children, overwhelmed in a world of disarray. Yet, in the midst of heartbreak, we learned there is strength in compassion. In the center of loneliness, there is an immense hunger for touch and tenderness. In the aftermath of a storm, we found our human spirit to be resilient. And if time has taught us just one thing and if our grief could speak out loud, they’d show us how deeply we need each other and tell how powerfully we’re loved.
Take a moment to settle into the absence of any existing restraints. Imagine there are no expectations to be on time. There is no commitment to meet anyone and no urgency to be somewhere.
The arrival of a fresh year is gracefully nearing and it’s not asking for any resolution, nor is it begging for you to do better. It simply wants to invite you into its presence and make of it what you will.
Step gently over the threshold tonight and only bring yourself. Leave behind your overwrought mind, where there’s no cause to anxiously fret. Right now, there’re no requirements to fill or conditions to be met. No strict promises or guilt. No needless pressure, no sweat.
Try a new approach to a different year. Let time be an encouraging mother and her daughters a blessing of honest days.
A New Approach is inspired by an excerpt from Open Passages, written by Susan Frybort and published by Enrealment Press.