You do not have to be good.

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees 

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. 

You only have to let the soft animal of your body 

love what it loves. 

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. 

Meanwhile the world goes on. 

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, 

the world offers itself to your imagination... 

Wild Geese, Mary Oliver

I totally. totally love this.  


You.do.not.have.to.be.good.  You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.  


There is such relief in that.  Such freedom.  


Today is Ash Wednesday.  I spent the better part of my evening with ashes on my hand, wondering exactly what this day means.  


I still don't quite know.  


Tim and God and I have our hard talks in the car.  And tonight, I cried in the driveway. 


Ugh.  


Right now, God.is.quiet.  


And that's ok.  


really. it is.  


. . . ? 


He is quiet and I am feeling very not-sure-there's-really-a-plan-ish.  


But I am finished walking on my knees through the desert.  


We do not have to be good.  


We only have to love what we love.  


Love and more love, 
H.