By Kyra Oakland

A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson

I am only 60 pages into this book, yet it has already imprinted on my entire being. Inward and outward.

“Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishment—or unlearning—of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential fact. It is our ultimate reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.” (Page 24)

For the first time in a very long time, I felt lighter after reading. I have hope, an unfamiliar feeling that has freed me from existential fear. My wish is that this feeling is not fleeing. I want to nurture and sustain it. Consciously incorporating it into every thought and movement I have on this timeline. Embracing love in all aspects of life.

“The physical body is at work every moment, an array of mechanisms with a brilliance of design and efficiency our human efforts have never begun to match. Our hearts beat, our lungs breathe, our ears hear, our hair grows. And we don’t have to make them work—they just do. Planets revolve around the sun, seeds become flowers, embryos become babies, and with no help from us. Their movement is built into a natural system. You and I are integral parts of that system, too. We can let our lives be directed by the same force that makes flowers grow—or we can do it ourselves.” (Page 51)

This passage has crossed my mind with devotion. A key takeaway that has truly stuck with me. Nature effortlessly guides everything, from the functioning of our bodies to the movement of the planets. A perfect harmony without human interference. Our lives flow just as effortlessly if we can put our trust in the universe.

The moment of surrender is not when life is over. It’s when it begins. (Page 39)

Surrendering to a higher power, to the natural rhythm of life. Letting go, trusting and aligning with a force greater than our individual self. This lifetime is only a glimpse of what has been and what will be.

Simply yours, Ky