Words have always been a special sort of magic for me. From the time I first began stringing sentences together in journals, I knew they had a fierce hold on me and would serve as a foundational aspect of my life. I fell captive to them at a young age, the word "writer" seemingly imprinted on my soul far before I ever imagined what that might look like when put into action.
I feel the power of words. I hold them inside me the way one cherishes her most prized possessions and best-kept secrets, glittering like tiny jewels encrusting my soul and lining my veins. I cannot separate my own existence from the power of words, and so I've never tried to -- instead, I have willingly succumbed to it and chosen to embrace them, finding words that fit my every mood, my every season of life.
Maybe we call some of these "mantras." That's a popular word these days, suggesting that very power of words to influence and guide us. What I like about mantras is that they're intended to be unique and specific to each one of us -- we get to choose the words that speak to us; we get to wrap them around ourselves like blankets of stars when all the world seems devoid of light.
I stumbled upon one of my personal life mantras years ago and have been intentional in keeping it close ever since. "Here Comes the Sun" is more than mere words to me -- it connects me to my parents, to my husband, and to my faith, forcing my gaze to return upward and toward the light that I know is there just waiting to burst forth again. It reminds me that I never know what beautiful things might be in store; that I never know what day just might end up being the best day of my life.
It reminds me that in the midst of hard times, the counteracting force of goodness and beauty still exists, and will rear its head again. My job is to cling tightly to those words and to that hope.
Do you have a mantra, or specific words, that speak to you in powerful, transcendent ways? I'd love to hear them if so. <3