Mary Curtis Funeral Celebrant

23/08/2025

Love this ###

I missed you quietly today. So quietly that no one noticed.

I missed you as I climbed out of bed and as I brushed my teeth; when I waited at the lights on the drive into work and as I heard the rain outside my window.

I missed you as I ordered lunch and as I kicked off my shoes when I got home; as I switched off the lights and climbed into bed for the night.

I missed you without tears or noise or fanfare.
But oh how I felt it.

I felt it in the morning, at lunchtime, in the evening and at night. I felt it as I woke, as I waited, as I worked. I felt it at home, on the road, in the light, in the dark, in the rain.
I felt it in every one of those moments, each one sitting heavier and heavier as the weight of me missing you kept growing and growing.

Yes, I missed you so quietly today.

But I felt it so loudly.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2024
Beautiful artwork by Snehal Pendurkar

‘Quietly’ is from my latest grief and loss collection (called 'I Missed You Quietly Today').

16/06/2025

Touching ###x

At a college reunion, a group of successful alumni—now doctors, lawyers, business owners—decided to visit their old professor. They chatted about their careers and families, but soon the conversation shifted to life’s pressures, stress, and constant chasing after more.

After listening for a while, the professor smiled and said, “Hold on a minute. I’ll go make us some coffee.”

He came back with a large pot and a tray full of cups—none of them matching. Some were fine porcelain, others were plain ceramic, a few were chipped glass mugs, and one even looked like it came from a diner.

As everyone reached for a cup, the professor watched in silence. Once they all had coffee in hand, he said:

“Notice what just happened. Most of you instinctively reached for the nicest cups—leaving behind the simpler ones. It’s normal to want the best for ourselves, but that’s often where the stress begins.”

He gestured toward the cups.

“The cup doesn’t make the coffee taste any better. What you really wanted was the coffee. But you still focused on the cup.”

Then he paused.

“Life is the coffee. Your job, your house, your income, your status—those are just cups. They help contain life, but they don’t define it. And the trouble is, the more we focus on the cup, the more we miss out on the coffee.”

He smiled.

“Remember, happy people don’t always have the best of everything. But they know how to make the best of what they have.”

12/05/2025

Goodness me! This is so incredible x

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in an Australian country town, it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.
Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, They found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Melbourne. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas editions of magazines around the country and appearing in mags for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Cranky Old Man

What do you see nurses? . . .. . .What do you see?
What are you thinking .. . when you're looking at me?
A cranky old man, . . . . . .not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .. . . . . . . .. with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his food .. . ... . . and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . .'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice . . .the things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . .. . . A sock or shoe?
Who, resisting or not . . . ... lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . . . .The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?. .Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse .you're not looking at me.
I'll tell you who I am . . . . .. As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, .. . . . as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters .. . . .. . who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now . . .. . . a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . ..my heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows .. .. .that I promised to keep.
At Twenty-Five, now . . . . .I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . .. . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other . . .. With ties that should last.
At Forty, my young sons .. .have grown and are gone,
But my woman is beside me . . to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, .. ...Babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children . . . . My loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future ... . . . . I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing .. . . young of their own.
And I think of the years . . . And the love that I've known.
I'm now an old man . . . . . . .. and nature is cruel.
It's jest to make old age . . . . . . . look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles .. .. . grace and vigour, depart.
There is now a stone . . . where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass . A young man still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . my battered heart swells
I remember the joys . . . . .. . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . . . . . life over again.
I think of the years, all too few . . .. gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . . . that nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people .. . . . .. . . open and see.
Not a cranky old man .
Look closer . . . . see .. .. . .. .... . ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within. We will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM!
The best and most beautiful things of this world can't be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart!

10/11/2024

23/07/2024

We are all capable of changing someone’s life… a touching story ❤️

A man was asked to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright red, as the owner asked him.
While painting, he noticed a small hole in the hull, and quietly repaired it.
When he finished painting, he received his money and left.
The next day, the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a nice check, much higher than the payment for painting.
The painter was surprised and said “You've already paid me for painting the boat Sir!”
“But this is not for the paint job. It's for repairing the hole in the boat.”
“Ah! But it was such a small service... certainly it's not worth paying me such a high amount for something so insignificant.”
“My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened:
“When I asked you to paint the boat, I forgot to mention the hole.
“When the boat dried, my kids took the boat and went on a fishing trip.
“They did not know that there was a hole. I was not at home at that time.
“When I returned and noticed they had taken the boat, I was desperate because I remembered that the boat had a hole.
“Imagine my relief and joy when I saw them returning from fishing.
“Then, I examined the boat and found that you had repaired the hole!
“You see, now, what you did? You saved the life of my children! I do not have enough money to pay your 'small' good deed.”
So no matter who, when or how, continue to help, sustain, wipe tears, listen attentively, and carefully repair all the 'leaks' you find. You never know when one is in need of us, or when God holds a pleasant surprise for us to be helpful and important to someone.
Along the way, you may have repaired numerous 'boat holes' for several people without realizing how many lives you've save. ❤️
Make a difference....be the best version of you...
Credit goes to the respective owner ~

22/07/2024

Whispering Branches
Mary Curtis
M.L.C. (Hom)
Dip. Hyp I.S.C.H
07828 929659

Funeral Celebrant
Fellowship of Professional Celebrants

Providing a professional personal service.


Death is inevitable for all of us and yet it is rarely spoken about. It seems to have become the White Elephant in the room.
A dear friend lost her mother recently and she was devastated. In her sadness and pain she found that the only person she could talk openly with was myself. Several of her friends couldn’t speak to her, they no longer called and she felt she was isolated.
Maybe the death of her mother triggered their pain?
Maybe we will never know, though it’s not uncommon to hear the bereaved mention that people around them crossed the road when they approached, or hung down their heads.
I wrote this booklet as a helping hand bringing some relief for you and your loved ones.
Please note; the advice is the same for all who are suffering from trauma, shock, stress, etc.
“Whispering Branches” came about as I believe that we are all mere Whispers in the Branches of Trees and on the Wind. Some are bigger and perhaps stronger than others. Some of us are quieter than others. Some are older and wiser than others. Some never get the chance to live a full life. Some are taken from us far too soon.
Some, like trees, leave us a legacy and precious memories, providing shade from the sun and a shelter in a rainstorm. They provide homes for a huge variety of wildlife; from lichens, fungi, insects to the most beautiful butterflies.
A branch could simply a resting place for a single sparrow, or a vantage point for an eagle. The trees root systems are incredible and there’s much research to show that they communicate with each other. Maybe we are all joined by The Golden Thread? Even beyond death perhaps?
Trees provide different woods and each has its own qualities. Some are more colourful than others; the giant redwood compared with the ash, the oak and the copper beech.
Nonetheless, we all bring something to the forest table.
Following on from helping thousands as a dedicated professional holistic health and trauma practitioner for over two decades, training as a funeral celebrant seemed so natural.
I am author of seven books helping and assisting people through life’s journey.
For me personally I feel that when we lose someone we have loved deeply, we are often at our most vulnerable point. Bringing a little peace to those who mourn and some practical tips to assist you through this time is my intention. That is why I chose this profession.
Many say I have a calming presence. I intentionally bring peace to a room.

When I trained as a celebrant these quotes touched my whole being:
“You may forget with whom you laughed but you will never forget with whom you wept”.
“Thank you for letting me talk
And letting me cry.
Thank you for cheerful hello’s
and tearful goodbye’s.
Thank you for asking questions
And saying her name.
Thank you for not understanding
But sharing my pain”.
Carrie O‘ Leary
Jacqueline M. Savageau

The healing began when a friend embraced me, leaving some of his tears on my cheek.
“Time Remembered”

“The closest bonds we will ever know are bonds of grief. The deepest community one of sorrow”.
Cormac McCarthy

Just To Be Alive
“I like living.
I have sometimes been
Wildly, despairingly,
Acutely miserable,
Racked with sorrow,
But through it all I still know
Quite certainly that just to be alive
Is a grand thing”.
Agatha Christie.

A Personal Note
Since childhood I have accepted death and have never been afraid to discuss it. My cousin Andrew died many years ago and it shook me to my very core. My aunt and uncle were devastated as were most of the other family members. He was an exceptionally lovely, open-hearted and a very gifted young man. He was an exceptional guitar player and we all missed his musical talents, his sharp sense of humour, his smile and his unique presence.
When we love someone, the hole they leave can never be filled because they were treasured in thousands of unique ways. Their love for each of us shines through every time we meet and its absence can be crushing. They may have been a beacon, a rock, a font of humour, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, an exceptionally good advisor and so much more.
Some people touch our lives in ways that we never fully appreciate until they are gone. Appreciating the depth of our loss leaves us feeling broken, confused and often lost.
The death of a loved one might even leave us feeling guilty for a thousand and one reasons; maybe that we didn’t spend enough time with them, that we didn’t always listen, or perhaps simple relief if they were in pain, poorly and demanding.
People touch our lives in different ways and they each leave a unique loss too. We have a right to mourn their loss and it is part of our grieving process to acknowledge how we feel. Grief has many stages and anger is simply one of them. Anger is a normal everyday emotion, though the way we are taught to cope is frequently one of repression and suppression. This often leads to all sorts of symptoms; lack of sleep, stress, digestive issues, fatigue, muscle pain, headaches and so much more.
I’m here to help you navigate through this journey. Hopefully you can come out at the other end feeling stronger and although you will always miss loved ones, we can begin to live with at least some kind of ease. Knowing that the way in which they touched our lives is our personal, unique memory.

Practical Tips and Self-Care.
Here are some practical tips to assist you and your loved ones.

Shock, stress and trauma all affect the body. Left unacknowledged long-term they can become ingrained in the muscle memory, hidden within the fascia tissues.

These emotions affect us in many ways. Our immune systems, digestive systems and sleep patterns can be disrupted. Grief and loss can often take these to a whole new level.
Self-care is so important, especially at this time. It’s time to be kind with yourself, as you would with others. Being vulnerable can be a challenge. We often put on a mask, a false, brave face for others. Yet, in truth the energy it takes to hide how we feel can become toxic. At this time it’s crucial to be honest and sometimes raw with our emotions. It’s okay to cry, to feel whatever plethora of emotions you feel too. Giving ourselves permission to feel is paramount.
Eating can be a challenge when we are upset. Please try to eat small regular meals. Snacks like flapjack or cereal/protein bars might help. Dale Pinnock has written some wonderful cookery books which might help too.
The self-care prompts I suggest are The "Shaky Wakey". Shake off the arms, wrists, ankles, legs and your whole body if you are able. Repeat as often as you like. I often use it with children who are bullied, upset and stressed.

Take time to listen to the body and let it show you where you need to shake. By regularly shaking off these residual energies which we might find to be heavy and uncomfortable we can often feel better within a few short minutes. Simply be aware and acknowledge how you are feeling, your emotions and the tension in your body.

Drinking more healthy water encourages positive change. We need at least two to three litres daily. Enjoying and connecting to a special nature walk, taking a boxing class, Pilates, yoga, T'ai Chi class or mindfulness, self-awareness, personal development or a meditation class can also help.

Healing has been used for centuries to alleviate shock, stress and tension in the body too. It balances and re-sets body, mind and soul. Massage and reflexology can often help. Indian Head massage is truly a wonderful experience. I know various practitioners in the area so please ask if you need a recommendation or feel free to call in at Lifestyles Health Shop, 44, Wood St. St. Annes FY8 1QG.
Epsom salts clear the energy when we feel stuck, stressed, upset, etc. So taking a bath in them; about 6-8 tablespoons will cleanse and re-balance us. Otherwise you could use a muslin cloth and wrap the salts in there to wash your body.

Lack of sleep is very common at this time and can be aided with a good quality supplement of magnesium, Himalayan Rock Salts lamps bring positive energy and are ideal in the bedroom. Stay hydrated, check bedding, mattress and pillows for maximum comfort, doing more physical exercise and making the bedroom a quiet space. It is advised that no electrical equipment be in the bedroom: especially televisions, mobile phones, laptops, especially in the evenings.

Look honestly at your habits before sleep.

Do you drink coffee, alcohol, energy drinks, caffeine, Coca-Cola before bed? These are all stimulants which will delay the essential relaxation needed for sleep. There are many herbals bedtime teas available now with chamomile, passion flowers and lavender to assist. You might wish to chat to your local health food staff.

A nature walk in your favourite place often helps; as can planting a tree, a rose bush, shrub etc. in someone’s memory. Many local parks now encourage people to foster trees. I love seeing benches dedicated to those whom we have lost.
It may also help to write a journal or make up a scrap book dedicated to a loved one(s). If you sing maybe you could write a song? A poem or something else? Maybe listen to your heart and intuition.
Listening to healing music such as ocean waves, the sound of wind through the trees and whispering branches, water sounds, shamanic drumming, Enya, Deva Primal, Snatum Kaur and Bliss may help you to relax.
Diffusers are wonderful too. They blend water vapour with essential oils to create a lovely fragrance and mood in the room. Calming oils include sandlewood, neroli, lavender, chamomile, frankincense, vetiver, cedarwood, rose, rose geranium, Clary Sage, geranium, jasmine, myrrh. They can be used to aid sleep too. Please note never put essential oils directly on the skin. Always check their medicinal qualities if you have any medical conditions.
Natural herbs such as ashwagandha, rhodiola, chamomile, fennel and maca, milk thistle tincture, St Johns Wort and Kalms can help boost energy, relieve sadness, stress and induce calm.
As a qualified homeopath, I would recommend Bach Rescue Remedy, Jan De Vries Emergency Essence, Mood essence or Female/Male essences. They are available online, often in chemists or from a good health food shop. Homeopathic remedies include arnica, aconite, pulsatilla, nat mur and sandlewood which I will happily provide, or are available from a reputable health food shop.

Just maybe…
Maybe, perhaps now is a perfect time to allow yourself to be vulnerable. Perhaps now is a time to cry, scream, punch a cushion, punch the air, or even a punch-bag. And maybe perhaps time to accept help which might be offered from others.
Maybe perhaps it’s a time to change our out-grown habits. Maybe time to put down the proverbial mask. No-one is indestructible. No-one can be strong all the time.
Maybe perhaps now, when someone offers help it may be challenging to accept, but refusing help can upset someone too. It can be a challenge to learn to receive, rather than feeling we have to give constantly. You may have heard of the disease to please? The dis-ease to please.
Just maybe ask yourself how well do you receive? Just maybe consider is it time to consider change.
Just maybe this booklet has brought some ease to your pain? Just maybe you could look through it whenever you feel the need, and… just maybe you feel you can share it with another.
I truly hope this has helped in some way and I wish you all the very best as you deal with the journey through grief, shock, stress and trauma of any description. Engaging with your support group, friends, family, neighbours and those who love you. Please take care of yourself.
Suggested Charities
Death Café Network www.deathcafe.com
Dying Matters www.dyingmatters.org
Final Fling www.finalfling.com
Cruse Bereavement care www.cruse.org.uk
Grief Encounter www.griefencounter.org.uk
Assisting children who have lost a parent or sibling
Sands www.sands.org.uk
Stillbirth and neonatal charity
The Compassionate Friends (TCF) Supporting bereaved parents and their families.
The Good Grief Trust is run by the bereaved for the bereaved.
Winston’s Wish support children after the death of someone important.
S.O.B.S. Survivors Of Bereavement By Su***de
The list is not exhaustive and there may well be a local bereavement support group.

GREAT ACHIEVEMENTS
“Some of the greatest achievements of humankind have come from people suffering under great burdens – loss and imprisonment, sickness and deprivation. They demonstrate as no others can the dignity and power of the human spirit.
Beethovan wrote his most noble and imaginative works after deafness had over taken him. Milton wrote from blindness. Bunyan from jail. Stephen Hawking surveys the universe from a wheelchair. The persecuted raise their voices from oppression to speak for their people. The disfigured in war bring hope to the deprived.
Some are only known to a few. Some are never recognised. But they tell us not to be afraid. There is work still to be done. There are things to be achieved. There is beauty to be created. There are puzzles to be solved. There is happiness to be had.
The world is full of marvels. Accept them and be glad. Do not let anything deprive you of a love for life”.
Pam Brown

When one of his classmates died, an eight year old friend visited the boy’s home one day after school.
“What did you say?” asked his mother gently when the child returned?”
“Nothing” he replied. “I just got on his mom’s lap and helped her cry.”
Forever Remembered.

“Needed, A strong, deep person wise enough to allow me to grieve in the depth of who I am, and strong enough to hear my pain without turning away.
I need someone who believes that the sun will rise again, but who does not fear my darkness.
Someone who can point out the rocks in my way without making me a child by carrying me.
Someone who can stand in thunder and watch the lightning, and believe in a rainbow”.
Fr Joe Mahoney

Strength verses Strong
"A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...but a woman of strength builds relationships to keep her soul in shape.
A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of fear.
A strong woman won't let anyone get the better of her...but the woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.
A strong woman makes mistakes & avoids the same in the future....A woman of strength realizes life's mistakes can also be unexpected blessings, and capitalises on them.
A strong woman wears a look of confidence on her face....but a woman of strength wears grace.
A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey.....but the woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong". (Anon).
From "The Voice of Silence" by Oonagh Shanley - Toffolo;

Recommended Reading
“The Power Of Presence” Doug Manning
“Water Bugs & Dragonflies” Doris Stickney
“Nothing Was The Same”. Kay Redfield Jamison
“An Unquiet Mind”. Kay Redfield Jamison
“God Is An Octopus” Ben Goldsmith
“Touched With Fire” Kay Redfield Jamison
“Forever Remembered”. A Gift For The Grieving Heart
“Echoes Of Memory”. John O’Donohue
“Tuesdays With Morrie”. Mitch Albom
“A Thousand Goodbyes” Ruth Graham
“The Soul Must Go On”. Malcolm Thorogood
“Medicinal Chef” Dale Pinnock

Best wishes and kind regards. Mary Curtis and all the team at Lifestyles Health Food Shop.

06/07/2024

I don’t care what form you return to me - I just want you back

If you come back to me
as rain

I’ll sit under your downpour and
become drenched in the memory
of how we first met

If you come back to me
as a western breeze

I’ll lay down in a field and make a
hundred-thousand wishes as you blow
dandelion seeds all over me

If you come back to me
as a cloud

I’ll climb the highest peak just to
let you wrap me up in your
misty-morning arms

If you come back to me
as our favorite song on the radio

I’ll pull the car over immediately
and let the music retell our love story
one 80’s power ballad at a time

If you come back to me
as an eagle feather

I’ll let you tickle the inside
of my fingers the way you
used to whenever we held hands

If you come back to me
as a light peeking through the trees

I’ll stop walking to watch you all day
as you dance wildly among the pine needles
until your glow is claimed by the horizon

If you come back to me
as a hummingbird

I will listen so quietly as you
Whisper all the secrets of
The afterlife in my ear

If you come back to me
as a row of goosebumps on my bare arm

I will trace my fingers across my skin
Carefully so I can read the love letter
You wrote to me in spirit braille

If you come back to me
as a single fat teardrop

I will close my eyes
As you bless the tip of
My nose with your kiss of peace

If you come back to me
as a twinkling star in the night sky

I will renounce my allegiance
To gravity so I can rise
Up into space and orbit you

If you come back to me
As a roaring campfire

I will stand so close to you
That the smoke of your presence
Lingers in my hair for weeks

If you come back to me
As the summer

I will fall asleep under the heat of
your green garden promises
you make me with your hot July breath

If you come back to me
as the Winter

I will exhale so deeply
So I can watch you
Draw pictures with my frozen breath

If you come back to me
As a flower

I will ask God to cash
in my available credit and
Turn me into your honeybee

If you come back to me
As a picture in my phone

I will pinch my eyes so tightly
it causes me to time travel right to that
moment so I can tell you everything I never said

If you come back to me
As a dream

I will put as many dream rocks in my
Pockets as I can to keep me from
Floating straight up through my eyelids

If you come back to me
As a stretching strand of lightning

I will stand outside
And wait for your thunder
To shake the cobwebs off of my heart

If you come back to me
As a heartbeat

I will place my hand on my wrist
And feel you coursing through
My thin veins

If you come back to me
As a passage in a book

I will grab the fattest eraser I can find
And get rid of all the period so you
Can become a run-on sentence

If you come back to me
As an overwhelming wave of grief

I will let you hold me
In your arms as I
Cry on the floor in the bathroom

If you come back to me
In the eyes of a child

I will give you a quick
Smile and nod as
You start your adventure all over again

There is no dress code required
~ come as you however you are now

No matter how you return to me
I will be waiting

Whether you come back
as a piece of piano music
Or as a heart-shaped cloud

Whether you reveal yourself
As a morning songbird
Or a midnight candle

I’ll be paying attention

To be a watcher is the joyful work
Of the grieving

And when I see you
Oh, my love,
When I see you again

It will be like you never left

~ john roedel (From ”Upon Departure”

Art by Jungsuk Lee

03/07/2024

Precious xx ❤️❤️❤️

12/06/2024

“Your body hears everything your mind says” Naomi Judd
🌺🌺🌺
Wisdom! Body/mind link with Lifestyles Health Store - Lytham St. Annes ….
How often and how well do you listen to your body??❤️

Homeopath, healer Health and well-being Coach Bereavement specialist Trauma therapist Reiki Master and teacher. Catalyst for changing lives Psychic readings. www.marycurtishealer.co.uk

29/05/2024

Inspiring ❤️❤️❤️

Loss is an inevitable part of life. And with it of course, comes grief.

Grief can feel like a deep, dark hole that we will never climb out of, but when it all feels hopeless,
I like to remember that it works just like love.

Because, when we first fall in love, it is intense.
It is overwhelming and consuming and loud. We cannot think of anything else, and we constantly crave the one we love.

After a while it becomes less intense, but it grows.
It grows deeper, more comfortable. It settles down and settles in for the long haul, knowing that it is not fleeting or superficial. It is less consuming. Quieter. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.

Sometimes something will happen to bring that overwhelming love back to the surface; moments of pride or surprise or nostalgia that remind us just how much we love someone. Moments where our love is once again intense and loud.

And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.

Grief is the same.

At first it is loud and consuming, intense and overwhelming.
We constantly crave the one we grieve.

Then it becomes less intense, less consuming. An undercurrent of our every day without overwhelming our every thought.

And sometimes something will happen to bring our grief bubbling right back to the surface. Moments where our grief is once again intense and loud.

And then it settles back into our heart where it knows it will stay.
Because great grief is born of great love.

So where grief remains, where grief rests,
it often helps to remember that love is there too.

Sitting with her arm around grief
and holding it tight.

*****

Becky Hemsley 2023
Artwork by Jamie Meyer (www.jamiemeyer.com)

'Holding on' is from Letters from Life https://a.co/d/9ULJjlF

29/05/2024

Love this ❤️❤️❤️

When the ocean waves engulf you
And there’s water all around
And when you feel you’re in so deep
You might as well swim down

When the forest’s looming darkly
And you can’t see your way through
When the trees are overbearing
And they’re closing in on you

When every path is dangerous
And treacherous to tread
And you decide to stop
And stay forever lost instead

Well…

I hope the sea is sapphires
That buoy you with their blue
I hope they shine a little
Of their precious light on you

I hope the forest prides itself
On all its emerald leaves
And helps you see your brilliance
Through the darkness of the trees

I hope your paths are gilded
And are lined with golden hues
Where ruby roses grow through grass
That shines with diamond dew

I hope you feel the sunshine
And the warmth that it possesses
I hope you see the way the clouds
Are shining at their edges

‘Cause there’s richness in the darkness,
When you’re lost, beneath the surface
There’s treasure waiting for you
And I promise you it’s worth it

So don’t give up or in
‘Cause pressure builds a precious stone
You’ve everything you need
And you are stronger than you know

So please keep going up and through
Keep walking, swimming, climbing
And keep on searching clouds for silver
Sewn into their linings

******

Becky Hemsley 2023
Artwork by Elisa Roelofszen

'Silver Linings' is from 'Letters from Life' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHL9MZC1?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_6F8S50C2E7V036QG679J