How We Are Helped

I cut out tiny shapes
from Japanese papers:
fans
cranes
temples
butterflies
chrysanthemums,
glue them
in harmonious relationships
to the paper
to each other
to my eyes, hand and heart.

I draw anything and everything:
small, detailed
fish
stones
leaves
doors
gates
shoes
umbrellas
in pen and ink,
then brighten them
with color.

A memory.
Young me
quiet in my room
cutting out paper clothes
for paper dolls,
stringing together tiny glass beads,
painting miniature ceramic pieces:
hearts
horses
cats
angels.
Feeling safe,
with glimmers of joy.

Being found me,
gave me ways
to stay steady,
find home
in this uncertain world
and helped me
trust beauty
as a compass.

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Questions for Contemplation

When you were young and had some time to yourself, what did you enjoy doing that was fulfilling and helped you connect to yourself? Do you still engage in any of those activities? If not, what do you currently do that settles and fulfills you?

What meaning and place does beauty hold in your daily life? If you wish to include more beauty, what might that look like? How does beauty affect you?

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