Thank You to the Goddess of Healing

Goddess,

I pushed myself too hard for too long.
I didn't take care of myself -
My body, my mind or my spirit,
And it took a toll on all three.

My body took a break and I fell ill,
Which made me too tired to think and
Too low to focus on my practice.

As I recovered and shook the sickness from my body,
I felt tired but renewed.
I felt rebuilt from the ground up -
Weaker but getting stronger.

I don't like being sick, especially for that long,
But I reminded myself that my body will recover.

I have to be patient, and I have to go through it.
It just takes time.

In the middle way we learn that we must live through our pain,
Through our sickness,
Through that which brings us suffering.
Trying to avoid our suffering doesn't heal us of it -
It just pushes it further in front of us,
Prolonging it.

It is by walking through the fire that we truly heal,
That we truly change and
Lose our suffering.

But we don't have to do it alone.

Goddess of Healing,

Thank you for walking through the suffering with me,
Thank you for letting me lean on you for support,
And waiting for me when I came through the other side.

-mf