Beautiful skies on the way back to B.C. in 2013
In the downtime between Christmas and New Years this past winter, I found myself thinking of Mary. Specifically about her journey to Bethlehem, and the fear she must have been facing. It is hard enough to be an unwed mother today, much less an unwed mother two thousand years ago. While Joseph had stood beside her, she still could not have had an easy time of it.
I reflected on her journey, and the courage she must have had. But the more I thought about travelling down dark roads, the more I thought about the path of life and how we all face difficult journeys. I realized that the poem I was crafting didn’t reference Mary or any religious iconography. It was about battling loss and hardship. It was about how you need to keep going even if every bone in your body screams to give up. It was about leaning on your friends (or God, if you’re so inclined), and having the courage to allow them to help. Continue reading
Heather Graves Soderling 