You were on a journey not many could withstand.
Your child,
The precious one who was stitched together with another and lovingly tended to,
Feels lost.
Lured and taken by something you have no power against.
A stranger now in a familiar shell.
The weight of it is enormous.
When feelings of heaviness or uneasiness visit,
Listen to them.
Pay them close attention.
Don't wish them away.
Your body is sending signals to slow down.
Tend to yourself.
Insulate from the chaos of the world.
Unclench your jaw and exhale deeply.
Listen to the hints from inside that all is not well.
There is dis-ease that asks for tender loving care and discomfort that asks for peace.
In the midst of your battle,
Don't lose you.
Our bodies are magical and intuitive and whisper secrets to us about what we need and what we don't.
They know when the ugliness of the world has crept into places where we need the protection of calm and light.
Our bodies release the fright of the unknown with heaves of tears and shaking limbs.
They help us reclaim solid ground in simply noticing the enormity of an old oak tree.
Our world tells us to look externally for peace,
Reassurance,
Comfort,
And strength.
It says to look in places outside ourselves,
Yet starting there is to build a house with only a scattering of loose pebbles as a foundation.
We need to start from within.
There are many external sources who offer what you seek.
Selling a shortcut to the other side.
An easier,
Less daunting path.
But what if you start on the inside,
Where anger has made its home and fear burrows deep?
Within the borders of your own heart and mind lie the foundation upon which you can build and shore up strength to continue the fight.
It will require you to be still,
To harvest a great amount of bravery and agency,
To set aside the ache in your heart long enough to reconnect to yourself.
Then,
When you've moored yourself to yourself,
You can gaze upon what the world has to offer,
To see if it adds to or takes away from the story in which you've unwillingly been placed.
You're on a journey not many could withstand.
You have the strength inside to persist,
Even when it feels as if your well is too dry,
Bones too weary,
Your mind too numb.
Listen to your body.
Honor its claim to rest and gentle attention.
And start from within.
