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Holding space is a sacred practice
It is the ultimate act of presence
Holding space is like drawing a circle of protection
It feels like sitting beneath a bright sky on a warm afternoon in earl fall
It feels like opening your arms wide as if you could embrace all of Creation
It feels like sitting by a bedside in deep prayer
Holding space is allowing room for feelings to flow freely without concerns for time
Or worries of judgement, puzzling out solutions, or providing traditional comfort
Holding space is not about fixing anyone or anything
It is about allowing what is to just be as it needs to be
It is about allowing a soul to just be as it needs to be
For as long as needed
It is about honoring the process
It is about walking along someone in silent vigil as they navigate their journey
Sometimes that is just for a moment
Sometimes that is for a gauntlet
Holding space is saying that my heart beats with yours for as long as you have need
Without expectation
Without demand
Holding space is bearing witness with love, respect and grace
-gws
If wishes were grains of sand
I'd own beach front property
If hopes were shooting stars
Every night would be the Perseids
If dreams were glitter
I'd be a drag queen on a Saturday night
If fairy tales were real
True love's kiss would have delivered me from my waking trials
But I do not live at the beach
Or sleep below a light-streaked sky
I do not glitter on a stage
And there is no magical happy ever after
I, instead, walk moment to moment
Doing my best to keep my feet
I rub weariness from my eyes
And sadness from my heart
And despite myself, I continue to wish and hope and dream
Because my dreamer's heart is more stubborn than my jaded mind
-gws
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Your birthday has arrived again
An honored remembrance of the day
When your spirit debuted into the world
In a sacred vessel made of water and earth
A joyous day, indeed
Your value is beyond measure
Your insight has no equal
You cast no shadow upon the ground
For you are a source of light
Full of humor and mischief
Love and compassion
There is no one else like you
And let it be known how honored I am
To call you, Friend
-gws
Knowing how to navigate life while feeling overwhelmed is the hardest. Being in the "here and now," in the breath, with the heartbeat and the space between them is enough. This awareness creates a space where I can remember that I am safe and ok right now, and that knowledge keeps me calm and tethered in life's storms.
-gws
Come, thee, to the sweet waters, Child
Come, let Her waters wash over thee
Come, let them cleanse thy soul
Let the sweet waters renew and restore thee
Come, thee, to the sweet waters, Child
Come, release thy sorrowful tears to Her
Come, let the waters soothe the scars on your skin
Let the sweet waters bare away thy hurt and pain
Come, thee, to the sweet waters, Child
Come, cool thy weary feet at Her banks
Come, drink from Her cold springs
Let the sweet waters refresh and rejuvenate thy body and spirit
Come, thee, to the sweet waters, Child
Come, lay down thy burdens in Her currents
Come, relinquish thy distresses to Her care
Let the sweet waters carry away thy worries to leave thee only peace
-gws
How do I turn down the pain? How do I stop the loop that repeatedly plays your violent words that pierced my soul? How do we recover from the bomb you threw at our feet so you could feel… Better? Superior? Right? I bled out from the wounds you gave me. I died in front of you, and you didn’t even notice. Worse, you didn’t care. I have returned as a ghost, broken and haunted by unfinished business. You try to act as if you genuinely care, but your concern is just damage control for your guilt. Your guilt will eventually fade, and your resentments will return. But I am already gone.
The time has come to leave the stage
The play is done
And its run complete
The houselights are up
And the audience has departed
Douse the footlights
And extinguish the spot
It's time to remove our costumes
And our makeup
As we are players no more
And yet we linger upon the stage
Yearning for one more act
One more scene
So that we can linger in an illusion
Of happily endings
- gws
Voices rose in sharp keening
The dry grass caught
And the world began to burn
Ancestors' voices whispered in their ears
As they focused their rage into a reckoning
-gws
Words Wishes and Wisdom 