mirror me you

the oneness of which we are all a part
lends itself to the analogy that
we are all mirrors.

and while i know in my heart that this is true,
i can't help but wonder,
can i really be so perfect and beautiful,
trusting, loving and caring, such as the being that i see when i look at you?
could that really be me, too?

just when i thought your light couldn't get any brighter,
you came into my heart, filled it gently with your luminescence,
and lit up every once-dark corner of my being with your light.

slowly and with hesitation,
i stepped out of the way so that you could see my cobwebs.
one by one they came into your view.
eager to be loved, begging to be known.

and in this i have learned that
it is one thing to love yourself,
but entirely another to let someone love you.

for while we can identify our gifts and our lovable qualities,
and work hard to magnify them,
we are not truly loving ourselves if we stuff our shadows in the closet
and suffocate our fears.

a true love will bring them all to the surface.
and to be honest,
this process is far from easy.
it is terrifying.

but at that point when those hushed parts of yourself
come up from beneath the dark earth
to be held in the light of the sun,
your love will show you
that you are nothing short of pure, lovable beauty.

and you will know what it feels like
to be cradled in the arms of God.