We do not come to own.
We come to kneel.

We do not come to fix.
We come to feel.

No river signs a contract.
No tree signs a deed.
Still we ask:
May I rest in your shade?
May I drink from your stream?

There are no kings here.
Only guides.
And they change
like the wind does,
like breath,
like tides.

You lead for a while
because you see the path.
Then you step aside
because someone else hears the rain before it falls.

When harm is done,
we do not cast out.
We draw in.
We circle.
We speak.

Not of guilt —
but of impact.
Not of sin —
but of sorrow.
Not of blame —
but of the thread
that must be rewoven.

We do not forgive.
We remember differently.
Together.

We leave no footprints,
only blessings.
We touch,
we taste,
we thank,
we let go.

We are not the story.
We are its brief telling.

And we speak it well
because we are guests.
And we know it is sacred.

Govert van Ginkel

This article is written by Govert van Ginkel. Govert specializes in Nonviolent and Effective Communication and is active in this field as a trainer, speaker, coach, and mediator. More information about Govert can be found here. The current training offer can be found here