S T A T E M E N T Our hearts are precious beings. They don’t have a lot of discernment. They are like the Unicorn - pure. They must be protected, but if they are hidden and underused, they become grief itself. They are confused if they’ve been battered, lied to, abused, or forgotten. They can lose their vital function. They need space for grief, longing and hope to be sung. They need the strength of the Raven, the snuggly courage and love of the big cats, the innocence and restorative powers of the deer. They need the primordial ancient memory of the emerging woman, and the cunning protective watchful eyes of the hare. Most people walking around with broken hearts, needing to be brought back into that soft place within, needing a safe place to do so; even needing someone to remind them that the hardening has set in, because we often have no idea. Maybe it’s a friend, family member, a lover, a healer, a stranger, an angel, or even, of course, a dream animal, that reminds you of your goodness and offers to bring you home. It takes great courage to love again after heartbreak, loss, change or just simply living in a society that has lost its vital connection to life, so much so that we live amongst unspeakable violence. Yet next to the horror are those still committed to heroic acts of selflessness and love. It’s hard to reconcile. We need something to remind us, so we can remember, what is good about us, that we are made of a pure essence that never changes, no matter what. This is what’s good about us. And it’s really good. Because if we can have the courage to, no matter what has happened to us, or what horror we might see around us, if we have the courage to shed our defenses and come into loving essence, we can easily see this beauty in others. We can see that goodness in others and we can be just a little less afraid. We can take the time to bring a lost friend home. We can remember.