A Lighter Way Week Eight: Ten Thousand Beside Me
Jul 11, 2026Reflection
Maya Angelou’s unflinching poem “Our Grandmothers” includes the line, “I go forth along, and stand as ten thousand.” Those words capture how I understand companionship these days. Let me explain.
For a few months, we had a pet lionhead rabbit. (The backstory isn’t important here!) Lennon was irresistibly cute (just look at the photo), and by the third month he had become so comfortable in our home that he learned to jump over his enclosure. He would quietly hop down the hallway, settle outside our bedroom doors, and wait for someone to open one so he could sneak inside.
One day, completely absorbed in my work mind, I had no idea he had escaped. I walked into my bedroom, closed the door, and stepped into the shower. As I dried off near the sink, Lennon suddenly sprinted out of my closet, rounded the corner, and dove beneath my bed. I nearly had a heart attack. For a split second, I had forgotten we even had a rabbit. I screamed as I watched something moving in the stillness of my bedroom. I wasn't expecting him, but there he was.
Then, around what would have been my mother's birthday, something even more surprising happened.
Sixteen years after her death, she began appearing to me—in my sleeping and in my waking—with messages of reconciliation and joy. Her presence was so vivid that I experienced these moments as pure gift, meant to restore and reaffirm her eternal love and blessing. A friend of mine even confirmed these experiences, asking me, one day, if it was okay to share what she had been hearing! I wasn't expecting mom, but there she was.
Whether through reminders from the natural world or glimpses from the world beyond, I have come to believe that Angelou's words—"I go forth along, and stand as ten thousand"—bear witness to the oneness and eternality of the life to which we belong. Our companions are nearer than we often realize. We become so consumed by our work minds and daily routines that we forget the doors of the universe remain open, offering discreet reminders that love endures beyond what we can immediately see.
I am fortunate to be surrounded by communities of friends, colleagues, family, and partners in work and play. Yet even when physically alone, I find myself accompanied. The birds interrupt my thoughts. Memories of Lennon return unexpectedly. My ancestors come to mind. The Holy Spirit speaks. All together I am lured into another experience of the universe—a creation alive and teeming with Love. Love surprisingly breaks into my most ordinary spaces. I’m not always expecting it, but there it is.
Practice
In the middle of your day, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Who is walking with me through these ordinary moments? Notice the people, memories, creatures, and subtle gifts of grace that remind you that you are companioned.
Blessing
Go in peace to love and serve.
May you become aware of the companions who surround you, the love that has never left you, and the presence of God that quietly meets you in ordinary places.
May you discover that there is far more help, hope, and companionship available than you ever imagined. May you go unexpectedly into the day, being surprised by how love finds you.
This eighth reflection in WTC's "A Lighter Way" series comes from Rev. Dr. Amy E. Steele, Leadership Council Member and Graduate of WTC's School of Spiritual Direction. Learn more about Amy at https://olivewoodpartners.org/
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