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Article:
The Empty Envelope by: Julie Jordan Scott As I sifted through my mail, I saw the envelope. It was one of those padded envelopes that usually hold books or audiotapes. I knew it would probably arrive that day, because in my Prospering Women's group our coach, Christen, mentioned she had sent them winging on their way to each of us. One of the women in the group laughed, saying hers had arrived empty. Another woman remarked hers had been beautifully filled. My initial reaction was, "Well, I certainly hope MINE is not empty!" I slowly took the the envelope into my hands. I bent it. There was nothing blocking it from being bent in half. I opened it and looked inside. Empty. Somehow between the time it left Christen's hand until it arrived in my mailbox, the top had been slit and the contents had slipped out during the journey. Somehow as I touched the lettering of my address on the outside of the envelope, my mindset shifted. I realized that it was absolutely perfect that the envelope's contents were not what Christen meant to send me. Instead the contents of the envelope were really so much more. In the emptiness, there was abundance. I remembered all the conversations we had shared during the four months our group was together. I paused to reflect on the growth of each woman. I spent time with my journal, where I had penned written descriptions from our final session together. I laughed in delight, recalling how the very special women from this group had gifted me with their kindness, their love, their constructive support, their continued friendship and the light of the new beginnings that were ahead for each of us. If the envelope had contained what was originally inside, I would not have received this message so fully, that the empty envelope was more than enough. That the caring intention of Christen was enough. That each of us, with our shortcomings and weird ideosyncracies and pet peeves and obstacles: we are enough. On February '9
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