Today was my birthday and, as I was leaving for work, a slip of folded paper fell out of my apartment door. It was a note from one of my closest friends. He loves writing poetry and putting his thoughts into more organized combinations on paper than saying them out loud sometimes. He's promised me for a while that he would let me read this particular piece and I hadn't ever read it until today. I ask him permission to share it and he graciously agreed so...here goes! It spans the ages; evading time, distance, even existence And settles into each of us, embedded in who we are Deeper than the universe, intertwined in the fibers of eternity. On the special occasion it can be felt; rarely, like tonight It swirls around, breath-taking in its simplicity Yet unfathomable in its true meaning Except to those with desire to know truth-pure and rare It returns to select the few who willingly seek to see The colors of emotion that thread together To weave a tapestry of meaning and expression That withstands the unyielding rules of temporal law Creating something not of this world A glimpse into the heavenly realm of eternity Into the very meaning of God's existence. Some would say its a gift For those who are willing to take the steps; Of sacrifice & change: Seeming to give up so much in the moment For something you can never seem to wrap your arms around Losing a piece of who you are, to find yourself. Of patience & time: Hours...to days...to seasons...to years...for a lifetime that never ends And it seems you only catch a glance of who you're becoming Until the tapestry is rolled out, connecting to form the image you shaped. Of effort & commitment: Molding, forming, creating; it becomes alive within you Spreading to the far corners of your heart, spilling outward Touching those nearby, awakening the memories within And you have it Cara, it's in you Seen through the windows of the soul, shimmering on the surface Partial image of what lies deep within you Yearning to blossom, to unlock its true potential And you hold the key. To Truth. To understanding. To the meaning of you. -What is the beauty within