Written by Susan Frybort
In a tender yet poignant voice, Susan Frybort shares a collection of life-affirming passages that invite us to step out from wooded shadows and into the clearing of a fresh, new day. Inspired by her own reflections and overcomings, these empowering meditations recognize life’s milestones and struggles as vital passages to transformation and restoration. Each experience becomes yet another opportunity to deepen in vulnerability and authenticity. Susan’s words of encouragement will awaken long-forgotten dreams, offer lasting reassurance, and echo a resounding ovation to what it means to be human.
Those who read this remarkable book will feel deeply seen, honored in their humanness, and comforted in their challenges. Begin to see life as ever unfolding; a place where the blessings of growth and expansion perpetually flourish, where natural beauty abides, and where you were never meant to be bound by past regret or fear. These pages will peacefully open your eyes to new perspectives while gently opening the door of your heart.
Excerpts:
Light the Way for Love
They say beauty comes from a spirit that has weathered many
hardships in life and somehow continues with resilience.
Grace can be found in a soul who ages softly, even amid the tempest.
I think the loveliest by far is the one whose gentle heart bears
a hundred scars from caring, yet still finds a way
to pick up the lamp, one more time, to light the way for love.
~
The Greatest Work in Progress
The greatest thing you can do|
is to become who you are
and not allow the parts
of what make you
a complete individual—
your creative energies,
your valued interests, and
your unique strengths and passions—
to wither away from neglect
or be repressed by whoever
or whatever surrounds you.
You are masterpiece and
a great work in progress.
~
It takes a powerful person to cry out despite those who’d prefer the convenience of silence. It takes a fearless person to allow their sadness to come out from the tight box of cultural expectations to be expressed and processed. And it takes a world of strength for that same person to be true to their feelings, own their emotional territory—to walk into the very chaos of its outright messiness—and uncover the paragons of victory and joy that were held by them, for such an aching long time, so quietly within.
~
Worry’s Cure
In a world where rugs are pulled
and tables turned, words fall flat
and hearts get burned,
there are three things I know for sure:
Life goes on,
love endures,
and gratitude is worry’s cure.
Endorsements:
“These poetic passages feel like blessings, prayer, the quiet voice of the heart. They acknowledge the beauty of peace within the soul and the courage it takes to protect that sacred inner space amidst the complex world of daily life. This is one of those books worth keeping by the bedside to read a page on rising or at the close of day, inviting us to return to who we are.”
—IVAN M. GRANGER, founder of Poetry Chaikhana, editor of The Longing in Between: Sacred Poetry from Around the World
“An exquisite and most beautifully written book. This book is to be read many times as one would feast on delicious food. A powerful call to know and value who we are. A poignant invitation to the nobility of authenticity, humanity and love.”
—CHRIS SAADE, author of Evolutionary Love Relationships and Second Wave Spirituality
“This book is full of simple but profound life lessons that read like poetry from the world’s greatest mystics- free of dogma and throbbing with emotion. Self-knowledge is a messy ride, but Susan herself is a compassionate, eloquent guide through the bright spots and shadows, the ecstatic moments and the quiet, solitary ones- reminding us that, no matter what, we always have what we need to navigate all of it. Susan covers all the “major” topics: change, death, closure, heartbreak, purpose, and the seasons and cycles of one’s personal journey. She compels the reader to ask the age-old questions: Who am I? What is my true power? How do I deal with pain and loss? What does it mean to connect with the divine? How can we “find” ourselves in a world where death and change are the only constants? All the same, the passages in this book inspire hope rather than despair. Susan shows us how dancing with both our gifts and our wounds, and welcoming everything that comes our way with curiosity and openness, is the key to our authenticity. Full of passionate honesty and feeling, Open Passages is a gift to all the dreamers and sensitive souls out there. I love opening this book at random and being led to whatever message I need to read that day. It’s like opening a present- and that present is ME.”
—KELLY MCNELIS, Author, Founder of the ‘Women For One’ Movement
“Susan’s voice is as evocative as Sappho’s harp. She muses about the journey of the mutual strings of the heart, and the ancient quest for the enlightened spirit to live authentically in the light of truth. Behold, she pens – breaths “words which I command are immortal.”
—CLARA MACRI, Writer/Contributor (Huffington Post), Philanthropist, Broker for the Arts
“So much in life is hasty. If you take the time to read Susan Frybort’s Passages, you will begin to look inward, pondering the direction of your life. Not in a guilt-ridden way, but with possibility and hope. Her short, poetic passages, will affirm the strength that exist within yourself. I felt whispers of encouragement, empathy in my trials, and a determination to be free.”
—DAVID SANDUM, Artist, Award-Winning Author of I’ll Run Till the Sun Goes Down: A Memoir about Depression and Discovering Art
“Susan Frybort carries the profound ability of revealing the sacred in the most unsure moments and enlightening the heart to find the holy when all seems ordinary. Through these Passages a courageous love calls to be remembered and Susan’s words remind us of what has been hidden right here all along in the most precious expressions of human life.”
—JAYANANDA, Author of Living with Love & Light of Heart