Tamara Willems

to facing forward, from here…

Yesterday,  
in the midst of everyday ordinary
tasks
on my way up the stairs, with a basket
of laundry
I noticed the appearance of a very bright
rainbow
on the closet door

and I stopped here, in this moment
to just take it in
then as we do these days, I try to snap a picture
(sometimes just to be sure I am not the only one seeing this)

a picture never quite conveys how very vivid
things appear
the boldness of the colours, the
beauty, the movement, the
life

the
whatever it is that, that very moment
some small thing
catches your eye and
makes you stop

now, a far more sensible person than I
might probably tell you
Pay No Attention to the Man behind the Curtain,
(or woman as it may be)
a simple case of
light refraction
the precise angle of sunlight as it passes through
the glass
of the fish tank

but
what I want to tell you today is that
this,
this and these…
these are the moments of your life
that stop you, and beg you
to notice
that you
are surrounded
by love

this is when the universe
smiles on you

it doesn’t have to be a rainbow
a leaf, some small scrap of paper, a
thread
the shape of a heart
a flower, a rock, a cloud
dirt
a cracker… anything

all it takes
even the very briefest
acknowledgement of gratitude
a simple registering this in your brain
in your
body

even on tougher days, a much gruffer
I see it, thank you, through gritted teeth
is all that is required
of you
here

just
to be open

“Grief confuses us by spinning us around to face backward, because memories are all we have left, but of course it isn’t the past we mourn when someone dies; it’s the future.”
~ Kathryn Schulz

Maybe the most important thing, I want to say to you
here, is this

if you are someone who is struggling with substance abuse, mental health,
devastating loss, anxiety, stress or
even just this very moment
on this very day

reach out to someone, please
whether it is the first time, or the ten thousandth time
reach out
a hard, hard seemingly endless struggle or even just
a rough day
reach out
to
someone

even if it’s again and again and
again

You are not alone, you do not need to be
alone
you are worthy of love, of comfort, of mercy
of forgiveness
and of
grace

you are always worthy

find a hand to hold
or simply take your own

and always
keep yourself open to noticing
the simple signs of love

holding you
here

please ♥

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