"We've all got both light and dark inside us." - J.K. Rowling

"You can be both soft and intense...vulnerable and strong...feminine and oceanic, yet filled with slow. burning. fire. There is possibility inside of paradox..." - Victoria Erickson

"...don't close your heart...from the possibility and please don't stop believing. hope is a beautiful thing...you're beautiful..." - r.m. drake

"Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this, too, was a gift."

Seeing this quote and the words that I wrote another world and lifetime ago brings to mind what happened then and be thankful for it, as I now have no feeling or emotion looking back, only knowing that darkness is not only "given" by others but also experienced with and fallen into, and that it is not such a bad place, for think of the moon as it rests in the night, revealing more often than not more beauty, or such in different way, more soul truth, than what might or can ever be seen in day's light.

Words: © 2019 Rosie Chee

Strength isn’t about power or might. Sometimes strength is simply smiling at another when you don’t “have” a smile or just being there to listen when you’re exhausted and want to do anything but. Strength is not always “seen”, but it is always FELT and you never know who is observing.

You might never know it, but YOU could change someone’s life. You could be the catalyst for them looking into the mirror and searching deep and asking themselves what they truly want out of life. 
You could be the one they look up to and aspire to “be like”, because they see what you do and know a little of your story. You could be a “reason” in their life that inspires them to become BETTER.

It might not seem like you are being strong sometimes, but what is and what is seen are not always the same thing, and people are so very influenced by impressions, even when they come to learn the “truth”, and sometimes the truth makes them take a few steps back and think and “see” more.

When it feels like you have none, draw on Him. There is a never-ending supply of strength and grace waiting for us if we just ask for it. In the times when we don’t feel strong or want to be, then it is time to let His power be the strength we need. Remember, STILL being here, is strength and you never know what that means or “tells” others and the impact that a single ripple can make.

Words: © Rosie Chee

Christmas is already well into back home, but barely just crept into right here. Whether there or here, with loved ones or in solitude, the spirit and significance of Christmas glows just as much as the smile thoughts of those loves cannot help but bring irrespective of presence, and light up energy like the brilliant golds or glistening blues of Christmas lights, beautiful in both summer and winter. Despite experiencing extremes in emotions with events since last Christmas past, being here in this moment, today, still breathing and fighting, means choosing to keep my heart and soul open, allowing such experience to create even more change and embracing new softness that now can be recognized more truly as strength. Taking it day by day, sometimes survived barely by that smile tucked away, even before this Christmas begins leaking sunrise into the world here, I choose to consciously continue allowing love, much like the sun during the day, to grow in strength and power of warmth and light. My wish and hope for all, even as day turns to night and leaves this Christmas behind, is that not only today but every one moving forward, will stay alight with the glow in the spirit of Christmas.


Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee

Last night I "chased" the setting sun around the lake. From having purple-red fingers after scrambling up a gorgeous roof of danger pitch, to soaking in the glorious marigold sinking into majestic hues of purple-blue, eyes and soul and mind found spark of smile that made everything that had gone before not matter, fading with the dying light. Though not ocean or waves, just the change felt in being by/on the water watching the earth's lights changing of the guard from day to night, gave wings to soul to ready to come to new life this moonlight. Beautiful. Blessed. Being.


Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee 

Very soon this will all have a different kind of beauty, one with a colder, harsher edge, but it will be no less beautiful; just changing the landscape as we slip slowly and almost too soon into the coming season, which has been trying to push ahead earlier than desired, really. But, as the earth needs the changing seasons, so do we; and sometimes the landscape of our soul mimics physical change, altering our perception and changing us in ways we may not truly see until such seasons pass.

Words (& Images): © 2018 Rosie Chee

Photographer: Rosie Chee

"...free spirit...simply free within oneself, radiating their light up and out to breathe...new rhythms..." - Victoria Erickson

Image: Rosie Chee

CRIMSON [FIRE] GODDESS


Embrace the fire.
Hell is your purifier,
flames the change
lighting your path,
reforging your heart
through the pain,
crimson stain glow
seeping to gold
weeping through your veins
altering your soul,
perception now enlightened,
your inner goddess awakened,
new power stirred,
strength found and grasped
in the heat
of passion that
sets you alight,
brighter than ever
in this world's darkness.
Darkness and light,
hell and heaven,
death and life,
destruction and growth,
pain and beauty,
you all at once.
Embrace it all.


Words: © Rosie Chee​

"You'll shine when you resonate with what is true for you." Reading this made me think of what I wrote yesterday, of the day I wrote this (and that), and how this truth applies not just to what we DO in life, but the people IN our lives. When you connect with energy that lights you up and reciprocally amplifies, you KNOW, and that you should never let go, for it is such light that makes life smile.

Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee

The highs, then lows, before the depths, the falling... seemingly endless falling... through the darkness, a vortex of black, not knowing when it will stop, or even if there is a bottom to be reached... a recurring dream since childhood, where you are just falling and falling and falling, through time and the black... BUT... It is just a dream, even as it is not a dream, and all dreams eventually come to an end, when we open our eyes, when we awaken... when we still ourselves enough to come back to our soul to see the blur between dream and nightmare and know both are the same, just different perspective of energy and vision... AND... we know that we can fall up too, maybe not as fast as we fall down, but we can, and we do... and we will rise past everything that we have seen or known as we fell, to a place beyond the point where we fell from... SO... keep going, my friend, dark to night, until night becomes day, that day turns to light... for the strength of your heart to hold onto hope, no matter the circumstances, is a light on its own, and you never know what difference it might make to who or where in your dark... keep a hold on your heart, for your soul, for its power.


Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee

I ran for the first time in a lifetime yesterday, between the heavy downpours of rain, after the thunderstorms of the earlier morning. It was nice, the temperature perfect, a gentle breeze while the sun peeked out.

The road was still wet from the rain, but it seemed as if almost overnight, everything had become brighter, more vibrant, green on the trees and new grass, flowers appearing, just simply everything "feeling" like a different world. Like spring has finally "arrived", watching transformation happen as if magic and being a part of it all, the outer world reflecting the changes and feelings going on inside the inner world inside of that.

Spring has always been a season I have felt "change" the air around me, whether back home or here. It is like one day everything "feels" different somehow, even if it has not. Often I have wondered if it is because something has changed inside of me each time, no matter how subtle. Perhaps, since the soul undergoes seasons too, even if not as noticeable as in the physical realm in parts of the world.

Scent, sight, sound, so many senses evoke emotion and different responses. The light can lift our soul as much as darkness can deteriorate it. Disappearing from the world for a time, especially that of depression and destruction, is not only ok, but necessary, and even if we might feel as if nothing is happening in the darkness, something is, if we let go and trust that sometimes we do not have to know everything or be in control.

But it is time to "return" again. It is time to soak this soul beneath the soothing, healing, renewing rains of spring and let it grow, waiting surprise for what may rise, but choosing to accept, approve of and love whatever blooms.

Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee

Our challenges and struggles help determine our committment and strength. They show us depths of us that might not have been reached if we were not forced to dive into ourselves and seek out something to get us through. During them we learn what we can be truly capable of, both dark and light, and choose how we will fight. There are those who find comfort in and draw power from the darkness, but burn as bright as any fiery beacon for the rest of the world. There are demons and angels, but the greatest warrior of all is one who is BOTH. No one but you may ever know the full truth of your personal battles, but know that eventually, whether drawn by light of your fire or because you have no fear of venturing into the darkness, you will find others that understand the war you fight. The heart of the fire, even in the dark, still smoulders, remember that. Remember that.

Words: © 2018 Rosie Chee

MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

Sleep eludes, but sometimes in the quiet solitude of darkness there comes truth in our soul. Softly creeping, almost as if not to reopen emotion and wounds desperately trying to be healed, even as the soul tears are crying out to Him to give a new heart. Truth whispers and reminds to boldly chase your dreams, refusing to let another hold power over the heart that acts upon the desires embedded there since forever, because those dreams mean everything and hope is the only thread holding this soul to the world. Let not your unique soul slip away, but reveal and speak itself with daring and such passion that others cannot help but hear the heart hidden, knowing and understanding even the words unspoken. Allow such freedom of soul and self that random is expected, not always knowing what will come even as instinct might, tentatively holding open a fragile cocoon encased with ice and hardness because it still has faith and wants to believe that even if it hurts again, it has to be better than what was. The truth whispers as you've always been, wanting more, asking more, expecting more, knowing what beauty and light have been seen and can be again, strength more than can be imagined but not always needing to be proved, allowing self to simply be. Soul whispers be yourself, simply unapologetically, perfectly imperfect, uniquely beautiful, crazy wonderful, you as you are.

© Rosie Chee

MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

Infuse your uniqueness into everything you do. Let your energy sparkle and infect everyone you meet with light. Smile true with happiness and let your inner joy reflect into your world. Be the difference you want to make and remember that any change you desire begins with YOU.

© Rosie Chee​

MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

RELEASE

The smile that was glowing flickers a little and the spark that was becoming brighter suddenly whispers like a ghost in and out of time. Everything that was once so alive feels tired and before you know it days have turned into weeks. When you suddenly become AWARE that you have let that which once did not bother you creep inside and settle on your heart, you need to stop and take a moment.

Your soul longs for the sound of the waves upon the shore. Your body longs for the feel of the sand beneath your bare feet. Your heart longs for the PEACE that can be found in the solitude of losing yourself in the beauty around you and the sheer magnificence of something greater being born in the stillness.

Close your eyes and imagine. Let your mind wander along the shore, your dreams bold in planting their footprints in the sand, unafraid to splash through the waves, your smile and laughter unaffected and pure again. Let your soul out. Release all that which “holds you down” and give it up to the One who always knows and sees and has been waiting for you to UNDERSTAND.

Remember how it felt to be so “light”, the “glow” diffusing throughout your being, your aura “rippling” out like a wave in positive vibration. Remember the joy that turned even the most mundane things into “moments”. Remember the smile that lit you from the inside out so that even YOU noticed the change in yourself and wanted to be “out there” sharing the “happy”.

Sit back and close your eyes. Remember the emotion. Remember the feelings. Remember waking every morning and sensing that something wonderful was about to happen. Something wonderful WAS, because your soul was open and light and ready for anything. Go back to that time and let your soul relax as it releases everything clouding your colour, to once again be FREE.

© Rosie Chee
​

Photo by: Danny Fittro

MUA: Katrell Mendenhall

MOTIVATIONAL OF THE DAY

The night has passed in its darkness and all things hidden suddenly alight within it, words said and emotions wrought as a soul grasps itself together yet one more time. But yes, the night has PASSED and is no more. In that should be the same of what transpired within it: Let gone and let go and given to Him, for some things our soul should not bear if we want to stand unencumbered by chains of any kind, even those we might have once placed upon ourselves.

The day dawns, the fingers of light reaching across the sky reaching for you, to remind you that light pushes AWAY darkness and a NEW day has begun. A new day and a new time, giving you another opportunity to start fresh and claim it as your own, your life to walk forward in His grace and share YOUR light with the world.

As we grow in darkness, so too do we grow in light, and all that occurs in darkness will eventually be revealed in the light. Let not the darkness be the strength creeping in your soul, but take from it iron strength and indomitable will to mesh with the positive energy and healing love of the light.

© Rosie Chee

I won't let the stain
of tears darken the fire of
the light of my soul

Haiku © 2017 Rosie Chee​

Art by: Daniel Taylor