There is a version of you who already lives beyond this chapter.
Not untouched. Not unmarked. But steady.
The benedictions woven through A Hundred Ways to Hold Her speak from that place. While the majority of the collection traces the lived journey of heartbreak and healing, these ten future-self offerings rise from the quiet that follows endurance. They are not instructions. They are acknowledgements.
They honour the woman still in the middle of it.
♥
♥
So much of becoming happens invisibly. In the small choices no one applauds. In the days when continuing feels ordinary and yet requires extraordinary strength. In the quiet persistence that does not look dramatic, but changes everything.
We often imagine peace as something that arrives suddenly, fully formed. But more often, it is built slowly, shaped by moments of survival that seem almost too small to count. The future self does not stand apart from those moments. She is made from them.
That is the tenderness at the heart of these benedictions. They do not erase what was difficult. They carry it forward, woven into something steadier.
As this collection continues to unfold, I’ll be sharing more from both strands of the book, the verses rooted in the present journey and the benedictions that rise from what is becoming. Together, they form a quiet conversation between who we are now and who we are growing into.
If you are still reaching toward a steadier place, may this feel like gentle companionship. Not a promise that it will be easy, but a reminder that what you are building matters more than you can yet see.
May this space always feel like somewhere your heart can rest. ♥
If you’re just joining this journey, or would like to return to earlier verses, you’ll find previous posts linked below.
- Returning to What is True: Poetry, Presence, and the Inner Work of Becoming
- A Hundred Ways to Hold Her: Honouring the Healing Journey Through Poetry
- Healing Through Poetry: A Benediction for Courage and Renewal
- A Hundred Ways to Hold Her: Poetry About Resilience and Keeping Your Light
Natalie, xo
This space is an offering of presence.
Words shaped through listening, reflection, and reverence.
A place where becoming is honoured, and the voice remains true.
Whether you’ve arrived here for a spark of inspiration, a moment of peace, or a sense of belonging, I welcome you! I create poetry and soulful offerings inspired by emotional healing, self-expression, and the wisdom of nature. Everything shared here is rooted in the belief that creativity can heal, awaken, and bring us home to ourselves.
Beautiful, Natalie. Happy to be along on the journey. Xo
Thank you, Denise. I appreciate you! xo
Beautiful and so powerful, Natalie! x
Thank you, Toni! I appreciate your kind words, always. xo