The Swing

Grace in Moonlight: When the Sky Became a Cathedral

Good evening, dear Moon,

As the day’s noise fades,
Evening takes her first slow step.
Barefoot,
I drift through sun-dappled grass
to the weather-worn, saucer-shaped swing
that hangs like living jewelry
from the lowest branch of the water oak tree.
It beckons,
an open palm,
pointer finger extended,
then gently curling inward.

Reaching, I grasp the black nylon ropes
and hop into its cradle
as it releases a familiar creak.
The swing catches me
like a child who has finally stopped running.
Head to the west,
legs draped east over the edge,
I sway as the long grass tickles the soles of my feet.

For a generation, this swing cradled my children.
Now it cradles theirs.
In this moment, it cradles me.

Here, Grace finds me as I sway
while the leaves blur into silhouettes,
the indigo sky deepens into violet,
and the cicadas’ song rises, swells, crests,
then drops into a sudden, sacred hush,
as if the Sky herself had drawn
a deep, reverent breath.

My spilled hair lifts and flows
with each arc
as the first star flickers.
Then another.
And another.
Until the Moon lifts her silver face,
quiet, certain, and near.

In this cradle of rope and oak,
Grace settles over me
like the softest blanket.
Nothing is asked of me but presence.
The only price is that I stay.

Oh, this swing,
a simple vessel that turns the night sky into a cathedral
and my heart into its quietest worshiper.

---

Dear Friend,

May you remember that Grace is like this swing:
always hanging there,
always ready,
waiting only for us to climb in and be held.

Let’s breathe here together.

With the Setting Sun,

Your Friend

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A Quiet Contemplation of Gene Key 22*: Grace¹

When we stop dishonoring the moment with busyness, Grace descends. When we stay long enough, Silence reveals itself as living divinity.

Shadow: Disharmony (the noise we mistake for living)

Gift: Graciousness (the effortless receiving of beauty)

Siddhi: Grace (the living hush that remains when we finally stop)

1. Rudd, R. (2013). The Gene Keys: Embracing your higher purpose. Watkins Publishing.