Author Archives: April Lee

it was a wonder-filled holiday in many ways
the beautiful winter snowscape
and christmas-in-the-city scenes
our two brightest lights home again
for our first pink house noel

and now only three days to go
as i say my goodbyes to the current year
and turn my attention to 2023’s newness

a fresh calendar calls for
crisp candor and raw reflection
quieting my mind
noticing my rhythms

bidding farewell to anything that
no longer moves me forward
though certain words seem to
keep popping up that do

wellness
and peace
resolve
and relevance
alignment

sky-high expectations
occasionally lead one astray
hiding unspoken truths
that bear closer examination

sometimes caught in intricate
webs of our own making
difficult to see beyond
so we adapt to the blurriness

but it is tiring and unproductive
to stay trapped in the fog
eventually we must feel our way
out through the hazy daze

open our eyes wide and
embrace what’s in front of us
who we are and what we are
meant to bring to this world

 
 
 
 

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sometimes words are not necessary

but love is still obvious 💔❤️
 
 
 
 

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this time of year, in my little mountain home, feels so full of hope and clarity. the peaceful scene outside my window (fresh silent white snow falling steadily all day) and the cozy scene inside (a home that’s well-prepped to keep out the cold) combine to make me feel thankful, buoyant, enlivened.

you already have the power
you’re holding it

perhaps not in your hand
not yet
but it’s there

maybe it’s stuffed way down inside
the years of doubt and insecurity
wrapped firmly around it, so now
the tightly wound ball
is hard to unravel

but it’s there
i promise you

the courage to take that first step
the strength to do what you need or want to do
the confidence to be who you are

think about how it would feel

with no one pushing you down
again and again
nothing burying you
in its heaviness

a chance to breathe
d-e-e-p-l-y
without fear keeping
your breaths shallow

you can start small

by simply listening to your feelings
beginning to understand them and
to understand their message

journaling your wildly chaotic thoughts
talking to someone you trust
creating a detailed self-rescue plan

it’s not easy i know
it feels frightening
perhaps even dangerous

and it won’t happen quickly
it will take starts and stops
triumphs but mistakes too

yet it’s vitally important

because reclaiming your power
your ESSENCE
is crucial to living your life

a life that can only get
better and better
once you’ve realigned with
your power
 
 

 
 
“in the midst of winter, i found there was, within me, an invincible summer.

six months ago i noticed an unhealthy pattern echo
so i pledged and committed anew
to awakening, moving, and nourishing myself

i didn’t force myself
to eat or exercise a certain way
but i did promise to take extra good care

i started to feel better, to look better
more and more untangling
creating a rhythmic ease to my days

and then an epic return to italy in september
to find our home, our belongings, all okay
and to be warmly welcomed back with love

it was the last missing puzzle piece
relief and reassurance began replacing
the anxiety and angst

and an interesting thing happened
the emotional, mental, and physical
weight i was carrying fell away

i shed the pounds from my body
while shedding the burden of worry
it was so freeing, so clarifying

and now these words
from four and a half years ago
are relevant once more

as i reclaim my essence, i try to remember to thank my body for all that it has already given me (like my two amazing sons), and for all that it continues to do.