You Have an Army Behind You

Excerpt:

My darling girl, look at what you have overcome. You have all the skills to fight, endure, and prevail. You’ve earned those skills in the hard tests life presented you. Like a warrior, you have shown valor and grit when the enemies were legion and fierce. Like a poet, you have displayed a heart stained deep burgundy with real blood and compassion. Like a true hero, you’ve done what is right at each pivotal moment in your saga.

You are in your big fight now. You want to retain space around you. You’ve always been like that when you are struggling. Your beautiful mate is right there at your shoulder, and he will do everything in his power for you. What I want you to know is you also have a vast and powerful army behind you. You do not need to turn your head for assurance, nor do we need to crowd you while you do whatever it takes to win. I want you to feel us back here. I am among them, and all my strength is at your service, and my force of faith.

As you have withdrawn to keep your strength for this fight, I think about my experience suffering and surviving my own cataclysms. I also do whatever it takes to dig back out. Here is what I know — the biggest tests from the universe hit us where we are most vulnerable. That is why all those other trials were valuable, to build our resilience.

My buckaroo, my beautiful girl, we have our humanity in common. Circumstances and trials are custom tailored. The resources to fight them are our own hearts, close partners at our shoulder, and an army of friends behind us sending up their collective good juju on our behalf. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.

My dear old friend, I am back here in the troops with my own scars and stripes. You have a seasoned and compassionate soldier who will do anything for you. When you do not call, know that I’m sending up the most powerful strength, faith, and belief I possess — earned through defeat and redemption. There are thousands of us.

You have what it takes to win inside you, alongside you, and behind you.

With all my love, strength, and respect,

E

Emily Conyngham is a writer and photographer based in Austin, Texas. To read more of her work, please visit her website www.emilyconyngham.com