Linger in my Heart

If there comes a day

when we can't be together,

keep me in your heart,

I'll stay there forever.

A. A. Milne

Winnie the Pooh

The most valuable gifts in my life have been friendships.  I have always been a person to be surrounded by people, but few did I ever really let in.  The ones I allowed to enter, still linger in my heart.

For me, friendship is best compared to a large old white house with a front porch and a pretty fenced in yard.  There are passers-by I would be happy to hang over the fence and chat with, but I would not want to open my gate.  There are others who I welcomed into my yard, but very few were invited onto my porch.  To make it to my porch swing where stories were shared was quite an accomplishment.  Then there were the small handful who actually made it in through the front door.  They were my forever friends.

It is interesting to look back over my life and recall the women who significantly impacted me.  None are necessarily alike in appearance or life choices, but they all are heart connected. 

Once firmly on my spiritual path, I began to gather a Circle of Women as I needed heart felt exchange, support, and insight.  Since then I have led several circles and learned deeply from them all. 

Then there were the women who somehow grew to be more than friends.  They became Sisters of my Heart and we shared a bond that went beyond words and time. 

I have always been attracted to a diverse population of women.  I have such a thirst to discover all fabrics, to examine all weaves, and to create a rich and colorful tapestry in my life.  Some strands have snagged, some threads have faded, but all of these loved ones continue to be the pattern warming my soul.

I can only hope that I have meant something to them as well, these Circles of Women and Sisters of my Heart.  I linger in their hearts, still.