One of my favorite pieces of inspirational writing is this piece by Patrick Overton...

When you have come to the edge
Of all the light you know,
Into the darkness of the unknown,
Faith is knowing that
One of two things will happen,
There will be something solid to stand on,
Or you will be taught how to fly.

Too often in life the something solid to stand on seems to crumble away. People hurt each other, relationships fall apart, illnesses occur, loved ones die. There have been times in my life when I fell so far into hopelessness I never thought I'd make it. Those were the times the darkness of the unknown seemed just that...darkness. But those were also the times my guides nudged me and urged me to use my wings...the wings of spirit and hope.

It's not always easy to rise above the difficulties and tragedies of life. But by learning to fly above them we see these hardships for what they are; part of the valuable lessons of life. Lessons that teach us compassion, strength of spirit and a passion to create a better world...one that consists of love and peace.

I'm still learning to fly, but there is a great joy in learning. And I know that despite the struggles, this journey of mine is a truly beautiful one.