In the Quiet of my Mind – Reflections Alongside my Zentangle Drawing

NANCY CHICHIOCO RAZON

There are days my spirit soars,

Buoyant, bold, and alive—

When joy dances with every breath,

And the world feels like a friend.

But there are also days I sink,

Gently or suddenly pulled into still waters,

Where emotions swirl like hidden currents,

Lingering longer than I’d wish.

Yet in this ebb and flow,

I have come to listen… to understand.

Self-awareness has become my anchor—

A space to pause, reflect, and process.

I allow the shadows to speak.

Bitterness may visit,

But I know it is not meant to stay.

For I have the freedom to choose again and again.

To shift the lens,

To see the lesson behind the discomfort,

To find possibility where there once was pain.

It is not always easy—

But the longing to return to joy is stronger.

And when I trust that longing,

Grace quietly flows in.

My resilience awakens,

My character strengths rise—

And little by little,

My light returns.

A smile surfaces, not forced, but true.

Born from knowing, from trying, from loving still.

And in that tender moment,

I feel harmony.

I feel peace.

I feel held by something far greater than myself.