Surrounded By Angels

I love to write because I love words. Words are beautiful and complex. And sometimes so simple. Writing is a form of art. It allows me to be creative. It soothes me. Writing things down just takes more things off my shoulders. Be they things on my list of things to do or worries, feelings. Writing simplifies, clarifies emotions, makes them more manageable. It allows me to take a step back and think better and ultimately find solutions more easily.


Sometimes I write just because I take pleasure in stringing a bunch of words together. I can create, paint with words and show others things that are in me or share with them things that I've seen.


Words are powerful. Sometimes writing them down makes me more aware of what words populate my mind. Then I can make adjustments as needed. Spoken words have there power but written words are even more powerful.


- Elsa Ordoukhanian


I met Elsa one evening in late October. She was staying at the spa where I was teaching yoga and leading a weekly evening of writing. The writing group consisted of me and Elsa. Initially I thought, this will be weird. Only one person? What will the two of us write about and do for an hour? 


But it wasn't weird. At all.


We started writing about writing and then moved onto other things, reading aloud to each other, listening. Elsa spoke about gratitude, how grateful she was to be away from her work as a doctor in the city, to have time for herself. 


I'm just so grateful for this time, for the people I've met, for this writing. I believe, she said softly, that we are surrounded by angels. Even when you feel full of despair, you are never alone. 


Her English was tinged with the loveliest lilt of accents; French, Romanian, Iranian. Elsa speaks 5 languages.

We sat talking past the hour, chatting about our lives as if we'd been friends since childhood. 


Women do that.

On Saturday, I received a beautiful letter from Elsa thanking me for our time together. She included a copy of her piece about writing because I had liked it so much. 

Writing soothes. 

And takes things off your shoulders.

And connects you with others.

Angels?

We are surrounded...

Thank you, Elsa.