The lantern that always knows the way home.
Find a comfortable place to rest.
You can lie down beneath your blankets,
Curl up with your favorite stuffed animal,
Or simply let your body get heavy.
Wherever you are.
There is nowhere you need to go right now.
Nothing you need to solve and nothing you need to figure out.
For the next few minutes,
You can just be right here.
So take a slow breath in through your nose.
And let it out gently.
Again,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
You don't have to make any breath perfect,
Just notice that it's simply happening already.
Your body already knows how to breathe.
Your heart already knows how to beat.
And tonight.
.
.
You are going to learn about something that you already know how to do.
You are going to learn how to find your way home.
Once,
Not very far from here,
There was a forest that looked completely different after sunset.
During the day,
It was bright and green.
Birds hopped between the branches and tiny insects buzzed through the patches of sunlight.
The trails were easy to see,
But at night,
The very same forest became mysterious.
Branches stretched into strange shapes.
Shadows grew long across the path and the wind whispered.
Through the leaves.
And sometimes.
If you listened very carefully.
It almost sounded like the forest was whispering back.
One evening,
A young traveler stood at the edge of this forest.
In their hand was a small lantern,
Not much bigger than a teacup.
Its flame flickered soft behind glass.
With the traveler,
Look down the trail and then back toward home.
Then down the trail once again and suddenly.
.
.
Their mind began doing what worried minds sometimes do.
What if we get lost?
What if I hear something scary?
What if I can't find my way back?
What if something is hiding behind those trees?
The traveler squeezed the lantern tightly and the lantern flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then something very strange happened.
A tiny golden light appeared inside the lantern.
And a very quiet voice said,
Before you believe every ghost story.
Look around.
The traveler froze.
Did you just talk?
The lantern flickered again.
So the traveler looked.
Not what might be hiding in the woods.
Not at what could happen later.
At what was already here.
They saw an old oak tree.
A patch of soft moss.
Three tiny mushrooms beside the path.
Their own shoes standing safely on the ground.
The lantern glowed a little brighter.
Now listen.
The Traveler Listens,
An app first.
All they could hear was the scary sound of the wind.
But then.
.
.
They noticed something else.
Crickets.
Leaves rustling.
A tiny owl calling far away.
And somewhere nearby.
Water moving gently through the creek.
The Lantern Group Rider once again.
Now feel.
The traveler noticed their feet inside their shoes.
The cool night air against their cheeks.
And their fingers wrapped around a smooth lantern handle.
The steady ground underneath them.
And suddenly.
.
.
The forest did not feel quite as enormous.
The worry was still there,
But now.
.
.
So was the Traveler.
You,
My friend,
Can try this too.
Without moving very much.
Notice one thing you can feel right now.
Maybe it's your blanket against your legs.
Your pillow underneath your head.
Your pajamas touching your skin.
Or even the mattress supporting your body.
Just notice.
You are here.
Now notice one sound.
Maybe a fan.
Someone moving somewhere in the house.
The air conditioner.
An animal outside,
Or perhaps only the quiet of my voice.
You are here.
And now.
.
.
Notice one thing that tells you that.
In this moment.
You are okay enough to rest.
Maybe you are warm.
Maybe someone you love is nearby.
Maybe there is a roof over your head.
Maybe your favorite blanket is wrapped around you.
Maybe your body is tired and ready for sleep.
And rest.
Let your mind notice it.
You are here.
The traveler continued down the trail,
And every few steps,
The forest changed.
A shadow became a monster until they looked again and discovered it was only a crooked tree.
A strange sound became footsteps until they listened again and discovered it was only an acorn bouncing through the leaves.
And whenever the traveler's imagination began making a frightening story.
The lantern whispered.
Look.
Listen.
Feel.
And each time the traveler returned to what was actually happening in the present moment.
The lantern became a little brighter.
Until eventually.
.
.
The traveler noticed something they hadn't even seen before.
A thin golden thread stretched from the bottom of the lantern.
It ran behind them.
Through the trees,
Around the rocks.
Across the little creek.
And disappeared somewhere far,
Far down the trail.
The traveler tugged on it gently.
What is this?
The lantern answered.
Your way home.
The traveler stared at the glowing thread.
But what if I go really far?
The thread stretched.
What if I get scared?
The thread remains.
What if I make a mistake?
The thread remains.
What if I forget where I am?
The lantern glowed warmly this time.
The thread does not disappear just because you forget.
It's there.
The traveler thought about that.
And perhaps.
.
.
You can think about it too.
Because you have threads like this.
You can't always see them,
But they are there.
Threads connecting you to people who love you.
To your family.
To the people who would notice if you needed help.
To the people who want you here.
To the people whose lives are different because you are in them.
Imagine a tiny golden thread traveling from your heart.
And to someone who loves you.
Now imagine another.
And another.
And maybe to someone in your family.
Maybe a friend,
Maybe a teacher.
Maybe an animal who gets excited when you walk into the room.
And imagine those golden threads stretching farther still.
Down through your home.
Into the ground beneath it through the roots and the rocks and the soil connecting you to the earth itself.
And above you.
Through the roof,
Past the clouds,
Past the moon,
Past more stars than anyone could ever count.
You are part of something very,
Very big.
And you are allowed to take up your little pieces of space inside it.
You belong here.
Not because you are perfect.
Not because you never worry and not because you always know what to do.
You belong here because you are here.
The traveler continued walking until they reached a small clearing.
In the middle stood a flat stone surrounded by wildflowers.
And the lantern whispered.
Sit for a moment.
So the traveler sat.
But aren't we supposed to keep going?
We will.
The lantern flickered.
But worried minds spend a lot of time searching for what might be wrong.
The traveler nodded.
That was definitely true.
So sometimes we practice looking for what is also good.
The traveler looked confused.
Like pretending everything is good?
The lantern's flame danced behind the glass.
We never have to pretend.
We simply remember that one hard thing does not erase every good thing.
So the traveler looked around,
And at first.
.
.
They couldn't think of anything.
Than they noticed.
The wildflowers smelled sweet.
The night sky was full of stars.
And their shoes had kept their feet warm.
The creek sounded peaceful and the strange little talking lantern.
Was actually pretty good company.
The traveler smiled.
The lantern brightened.
Three good things.
So the traveler named them.
One thing that smelled good.
One person they were glad existed.
And one tiny thing from the day they wanted to remember.
There's nothing enormous,
Nothing magical,
Just good things.
The kind worried minds sometimes forget to look for.
And now.
.
.
Before our traveler heads home.
You can practice too.
Think of one good thing that felt so good today.
Maybe something tasted delicious.
Maybe something made you laugh.
Maybe you got to play.
Maybe your blanket feels really comfortable right now.
Just one.
Just pick one thing for me.
Great,
Now think of one person,
Animal,
Or creature that you are glad exists.
Someone you love.
Someone who helps you.
Someone who makes the world feel a little softer.
Safer.
And finally.
.
.
Think of one moment you would like to keep.
Maybe sunlight through a window.
A joke.
A hug.
A song.
A snack.
A silly face from a friend.
Something you've learned.
Something small enough that another person might not even notice it.
Let yourself remember it,
Just for a moment.
You don't have to force yourself to feel happy.
We are only teaching the lantern somewhere else it can shine.
Eventually.
The traveler stood.
It was time to go home.
But something had changed.
The forest was still dark.
There was still strange sounds,
And there was still shadows,
And the traveler knew they might feel worried again someday.
But now,
They know something they hadn't known before.
Feeling afraid doesn't mean that they were lost.
So when the wind moved strangely through the trees.
.
.
The traveler whispered.
Look.
When their imagination invented another story.
Listen.
When their stomach fluttered with worry.
Feel.
And when their mind started searching for everything that could go wrong,
The traveler asked.
What is also good.
The lantern glowed brighter and brighter.
Until finally,
Through the trees,
The traveler saw it.
Home.
Warm windows,
Familiar faces,
And a place waiting for them.
The golden thread had known its way all along.
And you have a tiny way home,
Too.
Whenever your thoughts become loud and whenever your worries tell a scary story,
You can come back.
Look.
Listen.
Feel.
Notice what is true.
Notice what is good.
Remember who loves you.
And remember.
You do not have to get rid of every worry feeling before you're allowed to feel safe.
Sometimes worry can walk right beside you.
It doesn't get to carry the map.
Take one more slow breath in.
And let it go.
Feel the place beneath your body.
Feel how you are supported without having to do anything at all.
And quietly either in your mind or out loud repeat I am here.
I am held.
I know my way home.
I am here.
I am held.
I know my way home.
And tonight you can rest knowing that even when your mind wanders into the dark forest,
That there is always a lantern inside of you.
There's always a thread connecting you to love.
And there is always,
Always.
A way back home.
♪
