I have a shared iPhone Note with a childhood friend of mine, where we exchange daily thoughts, inspirational quotes, and whatever else is on our minds. We typically don’t comment on each other’s contributions or anything, but it’s comforting to be a witness in each-other’s words.

My friend recently jotted down this quote:

“The wound is the place where the light enters you”, which resonated with me.

I dug deeper, leading me to a translation of a 13th-century poem by the Persian poet Rumi, to which the phrase can be traced back.

“The wound is the place
where the Light enters you”

-Rumi

The poem tells the story of a king and a friend who reunite after a long separation. They rekindle their friendship and speak honestly about their lives, sharing the obstacles and pain they’ve endured.

The king then asks the friend if he had brought with him a gift. The friend states that he could not think of an appropriate gift, as the king already had so much—gold, food, and even the friends love.

The friend then hands the king a mirror and tells him, ‘Look at yourself, and remember me.”

It is in the bravery to look deeply within and the fostering of our shared humanity that light can pass through.

The poem’s title?

Childhood Friends.