Story: “The Mirror in the Forest”

Long ago, in a forest untouched by time, there lived a young woman named Mira. She often walked among the trees, seeking something she couldn’t quite name. Though surrounded by beauty—the songs of birds, the scent of jasmine, the rustle of leaves—she felt something missing within.

One day, Mira found an unusual path, softly glowing beneath her feet. Drawn forward, she followed it to a hidden glade where a mirror stood, framed by vines and flowers. As she approached, she expected to see her reflection. But instead, she saw images of others—an old healer, a laughing child, a soaring eagle, a droplet falling into a pool.

Confused, she turned away. But a voice echoed: “Look again—not with your eyes, but with your heart.”

She closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and looked once more.

This time, she saw herself—not as separate from the forest, but as part of it. She saw light inside her chest, gently pulsing. It grew brighter as she realised each image she’d seen was a reflection of a part of her: her wisdom, her joy, her freedom, her connection.

Tears fell. She hadn’t been missing something. She had simply forgotten.

The forest had always been her teacher. The light within the eagle soared in her spirit. The healer’s touch lived in her kindness. The child’s laugh danced in her soul.

Returning home, Mira noticed things she’d overlooked—how each tree breathed with her, how people carried stories in their eyes, how every being had their own light, waiting to be seen.

She no longer felt separate or unsure. She walked with purpose, not because she had all the answers, but because she finally understood that the Divine lived within her—and within everyone.

From that day forward, she lived to help others find their light too. Not by giving it to them, but by showing them the mirror.

And so the forest whispered, “We are all connected. One light. One love. One truth.”

audio version:

Service Reflection