When my life explodes into shards

When my life explodes into shards and fragmented pieces of memory, the only thing I can do in the service of growth and love, is to allow myself to stand amidst the rubble, staring out at the horizon, knowing that nothing will be the same again – but that possibility lingers in the dust and ash. When I understand that breakdown is the antithesis to stagnation, I can then honour everything that rips my heart out and makes me gasp for air.

Today, the castle walls around my heart have been overthrown, and all of its inhabitants are free. This, although excruciating, is the place that feels most real to me. It is the place where I can live, without armour, because in this moment, I have transcended war. I can stand, my heart broken and bruised, radiating tenderness and magnetizing those who understand the wisdom of this sacred place. It is the birthplace of creativity, of courage, of love.

Thank you universe, for offering me so many learning moments, for never letting me become too fixed or static, for throwing a grenade at my feet every time I get too comfortable. May I continue to resist the urge to hide away from the pain, and to continually disintegrate, reintegrate, and to drink in all of the vivid colours that exist between the habits and concepts and the safe places I cling to.

May I be resilient and strong, but never, ever, not broken.

—Laura Caitlin Burke

—Photo art, Ditch #20, by Lisa Comeau