River teeth, reaching out and the resilient heart

Much like a sculptor chips away at and reveals the true beauty of an object or a water-tumbled river tooth - a branch that's been churned in a river, stripping away all the outer layers until what's left is its true core, the heartwood, the strongest part of the tree - the peeling away of the layers built up around our heart hurts something fierce. But the tumbling of our heart, and the stripping away of the scars from all the injuries - while it hurts incredibly bad and exposes our vulnerabilities - also leaves us with a much stronger and resilient heart. Throughout this process, the process of letting them feel the true weight of who you really are, our friends will be reminded of what it means to be truly alive. In that reminder, true friends will reach out to you in support, compassion and steadfast love. And the healing will come.

Young river teeth.

You may think you're connected, plugged in, friends with many. But there is no substitute for actual, real, face-to-face communication and connecting with others (no, not Facetime or G+ hangout or Skype or...). It can be a simple, friendly touch, a brief hug, a raised eyebrow or smile, a kind word or a deeply-connecting conversation. The spectrum is beautiful. And the act truly powerful. So reach out to others. Like the ripple from a pebble tossed into an expansive, glassy pond, you may never know how much of an impact your reaching out - that simple, caring act - will truly have.