Nobody you have loved has ever left you. They only buried themselves so deeply in your heart that it was hard to recognise them for a while. When our imagined boundaries begin to melt, when the protective walls around our tender hearts soften, our loved ones breathe again, and come out of the darkness. When you have been touched by someone, felt the warmth of their presence, even if it was only for a moment and so long ago, you are forever changed, and cannot go back or forget, however strongly you build those defences. Once you know the presence of God you can never be the same.
