Dragonfly Massage

Shanah Tova

Let the Morning Unfold Gently

This morning,
there is nowhere I need to be
except here.

The world can wait.

I breathe in the cool September air
and feel the quiet settle around me.
Soft light settles gently over the day.
The trees move gently in the breeze.

For a little while,
I do not need to plan,
to solve,
or to do anything at all.

I can simply be.

I take time to notice
the warmth of the cup in my hands,
the sound of birds,
the changing light,
the gentle rhythm of my breath.

This moment is enough.

I give myself permission
to slow down,
to be still,
to let time pass
without needing to fill it.

Let the moment be enough.
Let the morning unfold gently.
Let me simply be
where I am.

Just this breath.
This morning.
This life.

~ 'Let the Morning Unfold Gently' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Sarenur Türk Koçak

Growing in Ways We Cannot Yet See

In nature, growth takes time and nurturing.
A seed does not become a tree overnight;
beneath the soil, in quiet darkness,
it gathers strength, patiently preparing to emerge.

And so it is with us.

There are seasons when we cannot see ourselves growing,
when life feels still and progress seems hidden.
Yet beneath the surface, roots are deepening,
wisdom, courage, patience, and faith taking shape.

A tree does not compare itself with another.
It simply receives the rain and sunshine,
endures the winds, and grows in its own time.

Perhaps we are called to do the same,
to trust the seasons,
to be gentle with ourselves,
and to remember that even the quietest seasons
are nurturing something within us.

Growth takes time.
And sometimes, we simply need to trust
that we are growing in ways we cannot yet see.

~'Growing in Ways We Cannot Yet See' by Spirit of a Hippie

✍️ Mary Anne Byrne

~ Art by Mikenzie Mitchell

Fun fact.

Butterflies aren't the only insects heading south. Dragonflies migrate too.

Some green darners make one of the longest migrations of any insect in North America. With a wingspan of up to 4 inches, they can fly more than 80 miles in a single day, with some traveling all the way from Canada to Mexico.

Their migration peaks in late summer and fall, when favorable winds can create huge swarms of dragonflies overhead.

Photo by Jim Hudgins / USFWS