Hope

A Happy New Year to you all. We wish you a loving and magical 2025, where we hold hope every day. ✨

Back in November, I was looking for Christmas presents and was delighted to find a calendar featuring a poem for each month by Becky Hemsley. I love Becky's poetry and bought a few to gift to loved ones. I was delighted to discover that I had stumbled upon Becky's shop on Etsy and I sent her a message sharing my appreciation for her work and how often I used her poems in funeral services. When the parcel of calendars arrived, Becky had placed extra gifts inside with her gratitude. I am grateful for our connection and for all the kind and loving connections held in my heart.

I was chatting to a lady, as we gathered to celebrate her mum's life, and she asked how our Christmas was. 'It held pockets of peace,' I replied and she paused and agreed theirs was the same. We went on to chat about 'pockets of peace'.

Nothing stays the same, and we are all navigating challenges each day, whilst swimming in the same pool, albeit with each of us running from unique operating systems. She is learning how to swim with grief, and discovering that it doesn't go away, but you adjust and adapt.

Pockets of peace gift us the time to let things settle as we adjust and adapt to all kinds of situations, stepping forward to make changes where we can.

Nurturing ourselves, our loved ones and all those we come into contact with is a flowing 'work in progress', as we step forward with hope.

The Cloak

By Becky Hemsley

It’s almost just a whisper

You can barely hear it there

Like tiny strands of stardust

That are floating on the air.

Blink and you will miss it

Like a ghost before your eyes

Sheer and so transparent

It will likely pass you by.

Reach out with your fingers

And you’ll hardly feel a thing

As if you’re trying to touch the clouds

And gather them all in.

But listen and reach out again,

Take time to look around

And you will see and feel it

And you’ll hear the way it sounds.

It echoes in the footsteps

That continue pushing on

It lingers with your words of faith

Long after they are gone.

It’s felt in all the strength you have

That helps you hold on tight

To all those threads of courage

That you cling to every night.

It’s seen in every rainbow

And in how the day appears

To throw a spear of sunlight

Through your deepest, darkest fears.

It’s hiding in plain sight

Though you don’t recognise its face

But you can feel its presence

As it offers you embrace.

So let it wrap around you

Like an almost weightless cloak

And you’ll feel a little lighter

Now you’ve dressed yourself in hope.

🩷