09/01/2026
From John Roedel
dear fellow seekers, I have nine things on my heart I need to say to you in case we never meet again.
#1
the people who come to
steal your wonder
are often the same
folks who let others freely
take theirs long ago
never let go
of your ability to
be amazed by
the spectacle of
our world
cling to
your sweetness
and become a
living witness to
the million
beautiful curiosities
of your life
don’t let anything
become mundane
I’m serious
pay close attention
to the adventure
before you
all of your experiences
are soaked in magic
the good and the bad
the happy and the sad
the hilarious and the mad
some people will
want you to treat your
pulse like it’s boring
it’s anything but
your life is bathed
in stardust
I know that doesn’t
make much sense now
but I’ll explain that a bit
later
#2
every time you
see a mother
holding her baby
I want you to
fall down the
rabbit hole of
creation’s divine
mastery
babies are the
key to the mystery
of our entire experience here
don’t let a baby pass by
you without becoming bewildered by
the whole wonderful oddity of life
#3
during the times
when your stomach
hurts from laughing
so much with your soul friend
I need you to not let
the moment slip past
you without first
acknowledging the unappreciated
miracle of your deepest relationship
the soul friends that you meet
here on Earth are the same ones
that you knew before you came
into being
you knew each other before birth
and promised to find one another
down here in the blood and mud
good work you two!
#4
when your heart
gets broken
and it will -
I am begging you
to count each tear
that rolls down your
face as the blessing
that it is
you are crying
because you haven’t
let your heart go numb
you are crying
because you let
yourself be vulnerable
you are crying
because you are
still fighting to stay
you are crying
because you have
accepted your humanity
every tear
is proof of how
incredibly strong
you are
be proud of your shedding tears!
each tear is unique
telling your story
drop by beautiful drop
#5
on the occasion
when you find
yourself watching
a sunset please
spend a fat second
breathing in the last
seconds of the dying light
take a moment to
learn the great lesson of twilight
despite the long night
the light always returns
darkness always loses
the game is rigged
#6
someday you will be
kissed tenderly
by a person who recognizes
the treasure in you
don’t you dare treat
it like anything other
than the strange marvel that it is
if you let any of your kisses
become ordinary then
everything else in your life
will quickly follow
#7
every breath you take
is proof that your
existence is a singular event
there will never be anybody
else like you again
everything you do
makes history
every time you exhale
it sends a fresh ripple
through the galaxy
listen,
there is only
one you
every second that washes
over you is something
brand new that this universe
has never seen before
be fearless
#8
someday we will hold
hands for the last time
but if you let that
moment take root
inside of you it
will last a thousand
lifetimes
let our fleeting time
together grow into a
towering redwood tree
time is relentless
but it is no match for
love
honor every second
of the clock
treat every little
bit of your experience
like the wild phenomenon
that it is
be a vigilant witness
to the magic of
everything
#9
don’t become forgetful
of your dignity
or that on the day
each of you were born
you were covered in
the dust of first-day creation
you were forged
out of the most brilliant
of celestial fires
never take for
granted all of
that radiates in
you
you were born
to blaze
don’t forget
don’t forget
don’t forget
~john roedel
