This year, I’m spending time loving the stranger I ignored over these past years.
This stranger is Me.
I’m delving deeper into myself and discovering ‘me’ below the layers of pain, hurt and neglect.
Inviting this stranger to take a seat at my table, I make sure that she is nourished and taken care of .
I will smile more. Laugh more. Listen to my intuition a lot more.
Being kinder to myself by getting more disciplined, I’m not going to let guilt get the upper hand.
I will make mistakes. Fall. And rise up to try again.
Opening myself up to Grace and Love, I will allow myself to live on this.
I will dare more, risk more but most of all, I will dare to taking the risk of loving ME.
No more will I ignore my needs. I will rest easy and trust my life to Him who made me.
I will welcome the stranger that is me, and allow myself to heal!
Today I re-read Derek Walcott‘s poem, Love After Love which inspired this post.
Love After Love
The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other’s welcome,
and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you
all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
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Corinne – it amazes me how you consistently pen the very words needed to soothe our souls. Thank you so much! You inspire me to work harder on putting my thoughts down daily.
Pauline – The Turtle Queen
Working to pick up my pace…
No longer matters who I am,
do not care what I’ve been through;
I am in a deadly jam,
and all that counts is what I do.
My wife’s upward trajectory
at her work and at her church
makes extreme demands on me
so she’s not left in the lurch.
Cancer sucks, that’s really real,
and I am tired past belief,
but no matter how I feel,
and how I know there’s no relief,
I’ll take the missions and the tasks
and do that which the Lord God asks.
This is beautiful, Corinne, “Opening myself up to Grace and Love, I will allow myself to live on this.” Self-care is needed for healthiness in our lives!
Thank you, Lisa.
This is beautiful. I often need to be reminded that it is okay to look after myself and that there’s no virtue in ignoring my own needs. Visiting from FMF#7
Thank you, Kym!
I’m doing the same this year, letting go of my need to make people happy and ‘rescue’ them. Part of wisdom is realizing what’s our job and what isn’t.
You’re absolutely right, Laurie.
A wise new perspective for me to ponder.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Sandra. ♥
That is so lovely to hear. We all need to get to know ourselves and feel good about it.
Yes, we do. Thanks, Rebecca.
How wonderful. Congratulations. Why are we never taught to love ourselves? How can we love the neighbour as ourselves if we do not love ourselves? Is this why there is so much strife in the world.
I celebrate your road to healing love, Corinne.
So true. I often think that the most important things are never taught to us when we’re young. Thank you for stopping by and for your lovely comment, Dawn.
This is just lovely, Corinne. Inspiring!
I, too will make an effort to meet the stranger that is me!
Glad you found it inspiring, Diane. ♥