Our very life here depends directly on continuous acts of beginning.
—John O’Donohue

It’s an invitation, an opening,
like so many that have been offered,
a portal into, yes, the uncharted,

but when has there ever been a beginning
that did not require a wee bit of daring?
Whether your heart is ready or not,

here it comes—the surprises, the possibiles,
no matter how much you resist them.
So dear one, listen:

Breathe deeply, exhale slowly,
and, with your whole, courageous,
far-from-small self,

take one shaky, trusting step
into the unknown,
and begin again.