Ease

     We sat in silence. "I'm curious," she said, a soft tenderness in her tone. "Why is it that you choose you relate on the level of suffering?". A moment passed, the warm clinking of empty mugs filled the air around us. I folded my arms across my stomach in an attempted defence. The all too familiar wave of jagged heartbreak rubbing its sharp edges on my soft heart. Painful memories flooding my mind and overflow as my eyes ache to join in and spill over.

     I sat observant. Before I spoke; If not one single moment in time, stillness. "I believe pain is an inevitable part of our experience here on earth, it's something we can all relate to. No matter who we are, It's what connects us" I said, a slight hesitation in my voice. I felt guilty for being so close with my pain. I sometimes feel wrong for always dragging along my suffering. Sitting there; the cold wooden chair digging into my lower back, a heap of guilt and shame. Reduced to nothing more than a grade-A wet blanket.

     I sat open, Vulnerable. My face, now noticeably warmer, remained unflinching as I awaited a response. "That's interesting" she said, locking her eyes onto mine, squinting momentarily as if to look deeper into me. She see’s me. "I am so fascinated in how others choose to connect to each other" she said, finally breaking her gaze and adjusting her posture with a grin. “Personally” she proclaimed, a serious look washed across her face, "I relate with joy. I live every moment with gratitude for everything this life has given me and continues to give me.” I could feel in my chest that what she was sharing was her honest truth. She was sharing who she is and the most important principles upon which she lives her life. Complete grace.

"I wholeheartedly believe that the universe works in our favour. We just need to see the blessings that are right in front of us." she said with a smirk. "Life is not meant to be easy. But this life is meant to be lived with a sense of ease. Allowing for experiences to come and go, without grasping or averting what comes our way."

     I sat silent, observant, open.