Coming back to life...
“Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.” - Natalie Babbitt
It comes in different ways…returning to life.
Words, hugs, gentle kindnesses from others.
Recognising the small things again.
Sun on your skin. Wind in your hair. The Earth felt beneath your feet once more.
But more than anything, being seen for who you are on the other side.
A slightly different version of yourself from the one that you left behind.
The sense of renewal is incredible in those moments.
Shifting from hiding under hunched shoulders and a downward glance.
A more upright stance exists in their place.
A murmur of the old here and there.
Tilting of the head. A lowered gaze. A slower approach to life. Steady and paced steps towards rebuilding.
Feeling the magic slowly returning to life, that had once felt so elusive.
Laughter. Connection. Sharing.
Being held with a smile and the eyes of another.
Those are the truest ways to come back to life.
“...is it not to the mercies of the eyes of others that we commit ourselves on our journey through the world?” ― Angela Carter