by Dace Starr
As I look around my apartment, I wonder -
What would archaeologists make of the remnants
Of my life when I am gone?
click to enlarge
What might they conclude by the shelves of books with titles like “Turning the Mind into an Ally”
and “Radical Acceptance”?
The large box of birthday cards received by friends with messages of praise and love?
The journals filled with morning pages
Repeating intentions for self-compassion.
Here was a woman who sought relief from
the Words of wise teachers.
One who needed the reminders of written blessings from friends
To move through her days.
A seeker who never gave up looking for the one true phrase
That would help her through the darkness.
Looking outwards because she doubted the answer could lie within.
And finally, one of the teachers spoke of inner intelligence,
to trust that voice that has been buried, to let go and listen.
The phrase, jotted on stickie notes posted
On the fridge
On the bathroom mirror
On the bedside shelf reads
“Trust yourself. You are the one who knows.”
Dace Starr participated in the Callanish retreat in November 2014 and continues to benefit from the wisdom and kindness of others who attend Callanish gatherings. She has worked for 37 years in libraries across the country, and lived in 21 different locations. She now lives more simply and peacefully - meditating, reading, writing, singing and occasionally cooking with her son.