Do you remember the story of Dorothy,

who meets the Tin Man

in The Wizard of Oz?

He is very stiff.

The tinsmith,

his creator,

has forgotten to give him a heart.

The Tin Man wears a suit of armor,

shielding and protecting him

from the strange world of feelings.

I feel like the Tin Man,

I sometimes feel

that someone forgot to give me a heart,

or that it is tightly closed,

The irony is that with an open heart

you cannot be hurt.

Perhaps it is my destiny

to become a seeker of hearts

and to find ways

to uplift friends and relatives in trouble.

To be a warrior of universal love.

I somehow remembered

how protected and nurtured  I am

by invisible helpers, guides, and teachers.

I know that I am never alone.

No one ever is…

I realize that this time in my life

is not a struggle,

but a dance

or an unfolding

of my creative and intuitive gifts.

Focusing

on the constructive freedom

the universe is offering me,

I remember the saying

that the risk to remain tight in a bud

is more painful

than the risk it takes to blossom.

And I am reminded, thus,

that all human beings

make mistakes

as we struggle

to fulfill our greatest dreams. Beginning to outgrow

youthful ignorance,

I am no longer a marionette,

dancing to the strings of desire and greed

but a human being

reaching toward maturity in life.

I seize the initiative in my life path,

to teach others

about the values

of justice, fairness, equality and honor and to embrace the power of truth.

As I gaze at myself in the mirror,

I know that

the truth is setting me free

and I am reflected in everyone I meet.