Why This Page Is For You
About: life being short, so holding it gently. For you if: you want to spend your time kindly. After: tomorrow, be gentle
with yourself once.
What The Mandala Shows
On a quiet table sit four old things: a pale skull, an hourglass with sand half-run, a tulip bowing on its stem, and a candle
just gone out, one thread of smoke still rising.
What This One Is About
Four old things, set out side by side, carry one gentle message between them. The skull, the half-run hourglass, the tulip
bowing low, the candle just gone out — each one says, softly, that our days are few. This is not meant to scare you. It is a
quiet nudge toward tenderness: slow down, be kind, to the people around you and to yourself most of all. The candle has
gone dark, yes — but it gave its light first, all the way down. So do we. Let that thought soften you rather than frighten you.
A short thing held gently is precious, and you are still here to hold it.
You Might Know This If:
• Your time is precious to you, and you want to spend it well.
• Gentle feels truer to you than busy.
• Small, passing things catch your eye, and you let them matter.
• Forgiving yourself for being human is something you're learning.
• Thinking about endings doesn't fill you with fear.
Settling In
Let your shoulders soften and your breath grow slow. Feel the warmth of your own hand on the page. There is no rush
here — only still objects to fill, gently, in the time you have.
What The Coloring Does
Begin with the tulip — the one living thing here — and color it tenderly before the skull, the hourglass, and the spent
candle. Giving the softest, fading flower your warmest care first sets the gentle tone, and the still objects after it ask only
slow, even strokes that keep your hand calm.
After Coloring, Take Five Minutes:
1.
Breathe. Three slow breaths; let the out-breath be the longer one.
2.
Color. Begin with the tulip, the softest, living thing.
3.
Notice. Watch the thin thread of smoke leaving the candle.
4.
Write. Name one small thing today you're glad you have.
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TALLYA 