I took a picture of the moon just before 6:30a. Not a single sip of coffee yet; barely awake, but awake enough. The image said so much about healing. A nature-inspired reminder. The quietness of a heart, mind, and soul, able to see, listen and hear. Wisdom being revealed as I looked out my window. Walking outside to take the picture was an added bonus.
Healing is a process, and it takes time. As I looked at the crescent moon appearing to be held without effort by the tip of a single branch, and softly settled over the tree empty of its leaves, I saw this beautiful example of shining among the broken, empty, faded moments so many of us face, even in the new day ahead.
I was also reminded of how much more can be happening in the backdrop of our healing journey. The tree, empty of leaves, is actually full of new buds, life happening, leaves coming. Spring in progress. The crescent moon, sitting gently and shining softly just above the bare tree, had a bright and fierce sunrise nearby, preparing to make its appearance over the horizon. A fresh start was before me.
Clouds soon followed. Moon and sun no longer visible, but also not gone. Patches of blue sky able would peek through at times, but those moments also grew rare. The rain is coming. A thunderstorm. Growth happens here.
This is the grief we experience. The process that doesn’t always make sense. A soft and gentle glow, but still the presence of hurt and pain; bright smiles and bold laughter, but also sadness and tears. Emptiness and newness, together. Good memories and bad days. Good days and heartache moments. Sunrise and sunsets. Dark clouds and loud thunder. We heal with each step we take as we move through the grief, as we move through our days. Sunshine and storms, doing our best to embrace and feel the hope in the hurt.
The sun still rises and shines, never deterred by the storms and the clouds; in the darkness of the night, the sky still holds the twinkling light of the countless and never-ending stars, and sometimes we get to enjoy a simple moment of saying good morning to the moon.
Hope in the hurt. Joy in the journey. All of it, healing.