Patchwork Soul

"What's all the fuss about goodbyes?  Why's everyone so surprised to see things end?  The strange part of the world--the part that should truly shock us is not the goodbyes... but the hellos.  How on earth do we account for the start of things?"
-Handing Down the Names
     by Steven Dietz

It truly is amazing how we are placed in the exact places we need to be in order to grow.  We begin life untainted and inexperienced, little bundles of potential and promise, reaching out with our soft hands to feel something.  Soon enough we become saturated with the world's words and thoughts, copying the characteristics we see in others.  There is a part inside of us that knows where we have come from and knows where we can go, and yet too often we forget how important that part is.  Fortunately, and not by coincidence, we are brought to others who act as a mirror and remind us of our own light, and before we know it our hearts burn brighter because of them.  Somehow without us knowing, all that we are is laid out and carefully arranged in a grand design that becomes sewn together through the laughter and tears that we share.  This patchwork soul can never be torn or cut apart--it literally becomes a comforter, a sort of quilt you wrap around yourself when the night becomes too cold or when we have nothing else to hold.

Looking back on the best times of my life, it has always been those times when I am surrounded by truly amazing people who make me want to improve the world I was born into.  This includes the people in the picture above, each of whom I have a deep and unique love for, as well as the people who have made me smile, laugh, and want to believe.  It's not easy to give in this world.  In fact, sometimes giving is the scariest thing in the world, especially when what you're giving is yourself.  I've been extremely blessed to be surrounded by people who have accepted and loved me when I've taken a chance with what little I have to give.  I've also been very privileged to have those same people trust me enough to give to me, something that means more than they will ever know.

Life is too valuable to waste keeping it all to yourself.  Beginning new things is terrifying.  But in the end, when we account for the start of things, we will be amazed at what those tiny moments of taking a risk and making a connection have done for us.  When it comes time to start something new, we will already have that old quilt to wrap around ourselves.  Take a deep breath, and begin.