• Home
  • About
  • Reflections
  • Poetry
    • My Poems
    • Guest Poets
    • Selected Poems
    • Classic Poets
    • Classic Love Poems
    • Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom
  • Essays
  • Inspiration
    • The Greatest Gift
    • Native Voices
    • Petals of Sunshine
    • Mandalas and More
    • Tentra Nepalese Totem
    • Videos to Inspire and Motivate
  • Quotes
  • Guestbook
  • Sitemap

Inspiration for the Spirit

A lovely place to wander for poetry and inspiration to soothe the soul

  • Choosing To Be Happy

    Everyone wants to be happy. Whether it comes from fulfillment in our work, contentment in our ... Read more

    Choosing To Be Happy
  • Exhaust the Little Moment

    The year my mother died, I learned something enduring about life: that it is glorious, and we have ... Read more

    Exhaust the Little Moment
  • Savoring Everyday Moments

    I love mornings. Morning is my favorite time of day. I rise before the sun and enjoy my coffee in ... Read more

    Savoring Everyday Moments
  • Letting It Rise

    Learning to bake a good loaf of bread is not an easy thing, especially when you have a broken bread ... Read more

    Letting It Rise
  • Villanova Commencement Speech

    People don’t talk about the soul very much anymore. It’s so much easier to write a resume than to ... Read more

    Villanova Commencement Speech
  • Sincere Meditations

    Slick packaging can't hide a disfigured soul or fearful spirit. Just ask the pastor of the Church of ... Read more

    Sincere Meditations
  • Mount Holyoke Commencement Speech

    The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the ... Read more

    Mount Holyoke Commencement Speech
  • Slow Down to Savor Life

    I've been known to tell people that I'm so busy, I don't have time to breathe. It might be an ... Read more

    Slow Down to Savor Life
  • My Path to a Simple Life

    The path to a simple life is not always so simple. Mine is filled with distractions and detours that ... Read more

    My Path to a Simple Life
  • Pretty

    Feeling pretty has never been a priority in my life. Feeling smart, talented, adventurous, capable, ... Read more

    Pretty
Reflections Poetry Writing Inspiration Love Food for Thought Body, Mind &  Spirit
Welcome to Inspiration for the Spirit!

Random Reflections—One Woman’s Personal Journey

cup of tea

What Do You Say to a Naked Man?

Today I received a letter from my ex-husband. It came as quite a surprise. It’s been over five years since I last heard from him, and he was the last person I ever expected to hear from again. Yet, there he was, baring all … Read more

peace

Learning to Fly Solo

Old? I Think Not

Better with Age

Leap, and the Net Appears

My Loneliness

More Random Reflections

Poems on Life, Living, and Love

A Birthday Gift

A Familiar Taste

A Love Poem

mother holding baby

A Missing Child

A Pocketful of Spring

More Poems
EMBRACE THE LOVE
Home is where the heart is, and at my home on the web
—Inspiration for the Spirit—
you will find a heart on every page. Let each heart be a reminder to keep your heart open, embrace each new day and the people you know, and live life to the fullest . . . doing things always in the spirit of love.
Patricia

Thought-Provoking Essays

75 Life Lessons Learned

A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar

A Father Remembered

A Heart’s Breath

Breaking the Surface

More Essays

Endless Inspiration

Native Voices

Petals of Sunshine

mandala

Tentra Nepalese Totem

love string

The Greatest Gift

Videos to Inspire and Motivate

More Inspiration

Quotes, Proverbs, and Other Words of Wisdom

advice

Advice and Encouragement

Aging

Autumn Blessings

change

Change

Courage and Strength

More Quotes
heart stamp
 Welcome
Inspiration for the Spirit is all about love—not only romantic love, but also love for our fellow man, loving life and its many wonders and, most importantly, the love of self that comes when you are truly content with the person you are ... Read more
hands up
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. —Buddha
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Subscribe to the Newsletter

The Poetry Pages

My Poems
Guest Poets
Selected Poems
Classic Poets
Classic Love Poems
Zen Poetry, Haiku, and Wisdom

Most Recent Posts

A Beast and an Anxious Person Walk Into a Bar

by Karen Sandstrom

The Fabric of My Life

by Peggy Bird

Savoring Everyday Moments

by Patricia Petro

My Path to a Simple Life

by Patricia Petro

Native American Prayers

by Patricia Petro

The Simplicity of Tea

When I drink tea, there is only me, and the tea. The rest of the world dissolves. There are no worries about the future. No dwelling on past mistakes. ... Read more

The Language of Flowers

During the Victorian era, people often gave each other flowers and used the "language of flowers" (sometimes called floriography) to express feelings ... Read more

My Miracle Heart: A True Story

daisy and a heart

When my ex-husband and I parted ways, I was angry. Our marriage had not been good for a lot of reasons. And though I was relieved the ordeal was ... Read more

Native American Wisdom

Native American chiefs

We, the great mass of the people, think only of the love we have for our land; we do love the land where we were brought up. We will never let our ... Read more

Beginnings

"Messenger" mandala by Caroline Hofstede It had been a pivotal year for me. A bad breakup early on had left me feeling fragile and fragmented and looking inward for answers ... Read more

Sign My Guestbook

guestook

One of the first things you discover when you put an inspirational website online, is that a lot of people will write to you. ... Read more

Explore and Enjoy

aging autumn being female cancer children comfort & compassion courage & strength death divorce dreams & desires family father flowers & gardens friends & friendship grief & sadness happiness hope & optimism illness inner peace inspiring learning & growth life & living loneliness love love lost loving yourself marriage mindful living mother motherhood music Native American nature people places poetry & writing positive attitude quotes relationships sex & sexuality simplicity solitude spirit spring winter

Looking for a specific poet or author?

Inspiration for the Spirit EST 2002 • Copyright © 2023 Patricia Petro • LOGIN