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THE GREATEST GIFT by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

I am recently married and wrote this poem for our wedding…

It is a reflection on the nature of love and the many shapes and sizes in which we can discover love's multitude of mysteries. 

As I was composing the words, I was reminded that long before my path ever intersected with my husbands, my most profound lessons on love came from simply learning to love myself. Love truly is an inside job. And when we start to figure out how to create space in our hearts for compassion, generosity, kindness and grace- most of all towards ourselves- we become better equipped to love others and see our love multiply and create a beautiful ripple effect in our wake. 

Last, the final line is a nod to a line from the movie Moulin Rouge- sometimes truth comes in unexpected places! And this truth acknowledges that one of the greatest lessons we can learn is to love and be loved. Whatever form, that love may take. 
Pictured is the author, BethAnne Kapansky Wright
The Greatest Gift
by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

Life doesn't give us
the capacity to love,
so we can keep it inside
and watch it diminish.

Love, 
is meant to be multiplied
by giving it away. 

Life doesn't give us
the ability to love
so we can squander it
on doubt and fear. 

Love,
is meant to be shared
so it grows exponentially.

Life doesn't give us
a voice to love,
so we can stay silent
and hold back our words.

Love,
is meant to be declared
out loud with every 
breath of being. 

Life doesn't give us
a heart to love,
so we can build walls
and fence it in.

Love,
is meant to be boundless;
There are no walls. 

For love is not
a prescription,
but our redemption,
that is lived and learned,
in a million different ways. 

It is the glue
that makes us stick 
to one another
and keeps us 
coming back for more.

It is the magic
that makes 
the world light up
with bright possibility 
and soft mystery,
and the hope that 
keeps us pressing on-
even when we don't
always know why
we are pressing.

It is the 
the only thing
strong enough
to peer into the dark,
and make a way-
to help us find
our light.

And it is the 
sacred grace,
that brought you and I
to this time and space,
so we can stand 
here united and know
beyond all else-

The greatest gift
you'll ever learn,
is just to love 
and be loved 
in return. 
Pictured is the author and her husband


BethAnne Kapansky Wright: I am a Clinical Psychologist who enjoys writing, illustrating and creating. I specialize in dealing with women's issues, life transitions, trauma, grief work, and finding healing in our relationships, especially our relationship with our self. I am a big believer in authenticity, intuition, the power of love, finding laughter and joy, and learning to be more fully human. My essays and poetry have been published in a variety of publications, and I am the author of the poetry books Cranberry Dusk, Freebird Fridays (November 2016, Golden Dragonfly Press) and Lamentations of the Sea: 111 passages on grief, love, loss and letting go. I currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska with my soul mate and our fur kids and my beloved mountains and trails. I can be found on Facebook or on my blog: Sunshine in Winter, here. 



~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~ 

Comments

  1. It is indeed "the glue" that makes us stick, no matter what trials com our way. Your words touched my heart and brought tears to my eyes on this November day. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Ginny! It is indeed the glue, and I so appreciate your kind comments. <3 BethAnne

    ReplyDelete
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