SoulfullyAButterfly: 7 Years of Echoed Light

Year one began as an opportunity.

I needed to belong and a space to pour.

The intern and listener in me soon began to form uncertain,

Powerful bonds.

I discovered smaller spaces, within the bigger space,

Each capable of connecting to reduce the ache.

And while I never reached out for support,

The healing that came with it was enough to hold

And so, my journey began, like a rowing boat,

Steady ripples of empathy and nothing short of growth.

I can’t count or categorize,

The years of light.

Light as a listener called “an angel” for my first member who was in distress,

To light discovering a leader in me to unite,

Older peers to veterans to people just needing access

As the years went on, I was still impressed,

Opportunity never short, and the globe all together with to connect.

I fluttered and watered different gardens and projects,

And soon it dawned on me,

How community was the heart of this nest.

I found my people, a team who cared

Not about my work but me as a person who was ready to share

My heart, my soul and talents combined,

Given the support to voice anything that came to mind

And so we built and continue to build,

Things that defy

Kindness, compassion, empathy and might

It takes one place, one ear, one soul to say,

“I’m here” “You’re safe” “Say what you like”

It takes all of us to be kind,

To build a force that no weed can undermine.

Today as I feel proud,

Of another year spent in this beautiful garden with signs,

Of continued growth, of empowerment, of progress 

And light.

I want this to be your sign.

We’re here, we listen

We care; we will be there.

For every darkness, we will hold a candle

Of hope and light

For every win, we will cheer for you

Until you reach a finish line.

Together, we will climb,

Endless mountains to which we set sight

For flourishing,

Never ends.

Problems will arise.

It’s not how you stumble that counts,

But how you fly.

SoulfullyAButterfly

June 10, 2025

In honor of my 7th Cupsversary, this is a reflection on seven years of kindness, connection, and the light we carry for one another - how it echoes, returns, and keeps us going.

When I joined 7 Cups in 2018, I had moved to a new country and just discovered how psychology may be the path for me. A year into my undergraduate studies, I was googling internships/online spaces to pour into and find belonging when I discovered this site. I signed up as a listener, and within a week or two, formally started the internship program. I connected not only as a listener, but got to be a forum worm, and leader for peers including the 35+, 50+ and even the veterans support space. My love for content creation, psychology, and simple, everyday kindness led me to accept a role on the community team. I connected with other leaders helping build this space and found confidence, belief and a second family. 

Fast forward 7 years, I have completed my master's and am a clinical psychologist in my country. My love for interventions and healing, paired with a passion for content, creative projects, and compassionate leadership, continues to shape what I pour into 7 Cups.

It remains a place that helps me grow and flourish; a space where I’m reminded that gifting what comes naturally to me and so many others, compassion, can quietly change lives.