Great piece from start to end, Conni. These words here reminded me of this many tanka containing post I wrote back in May '21: https://medium.com/know-thyself-heal-thyself/tanka-of-growth-and-evolution-36b08f1284e6 and this one that's not found there:

Heart and mind shatter

Lose identity rebuild

Embody mind soul

Greg Gregorious Marcus

Soul expanding Unity

Deciding for oneself what gives life meaning. That is the essence of spirituality that is missing from religion. As I often quote from Neale Donald Walsch's Conversations with God: "Religion cannot stand Spirituality. It cannot abide it. For Spirituality may bring you to a different conclusion than a particular religion — and this no known religion can tolerate. Religion encourages you to explore the thoughts of others and accept them as your own. Spirituality invites you to toss away the thoughts of others and come up with your own."