Am I saved?

A thousand times…

I am saved when I fall into the abyss of fear

Gasping for air, grasping for a tree limb, when suddenly

Warm water begins to fill the canyon

Lifting me back to the top.

I am saved by the hand that reaches for me when I am stumbling,

The voice calling my name when I have lost my bearings,

The shoulder that comforts my grief

And the heart that opens in softness when I’m in the verge of cynicism.

I am saved by the fierceness of life

Offering hope in my despair

A reassuring smile in my terror

And healing tears of re-connection.

I am saved when after a tedious day forging a new path

By removing rocks that feel like boulders, I look up

And notice the most brilliant colors

Painted from east to west by the sun on its way to the other side.

I am saved when I awaken, grateful for a new day of challenges and joys,

To a fresh covering of snow, and I imagine myself

Standing in that same place only months ago,

In my t-shirt and shorts.

Am I saved?

A thousand times…a day.