be you

All you have to do today
Is show up
and try your best
That's it
You do not have to impress anyone
You do not have to do it all
You do not have to hold back tears, if you feel like crying
All you have to do
Is just be you

chances

There was once a chance that I did not take
And now I have no idea what may have been
The smiles that may have risen on my face
the memories that could have been created
I have no idea where my life would be
had I taken that chance
Who I might have met
What adventures I could have gone on
I will never know
what may have opened up for me

There was once a chance that I did not take
And I do not know where it could have lead
There may have been tears
My heart may have gotten broken
I may have fallen down and struggled to get back up
I could have felt lost, afraid, unsure of where to turn next

The thing with not taking chances
Is you never will know what could have happened
All I am left with now is wonder
Of what may have been
What could have been
What I wished it to have been

And now
When a new chance arrives
I do not allow fear to take hold of me
Making me live in wonder
Instead I jump right it
Giving it a try
Letting the moment take me
Embracing all that unfolds

~what chance have you not taken, that you wish you had?~

Together

  

We all just want to be seen and heard

To be able to express when we are hurting

When we feel pain

When we are suffering

We want to be able to share our story

So that we can release it into the world

Freeing ourselves from the shackles 

that have been holding us back

We want to know that we are not alone

And feel the comfort of another individuals understanding

We need to stand along side each other

So that we can lean on one another when we are weak

And help each other along on our journey's

As human beings we thrive on connection

And accomplish great things when we are together

living

Being open

Easy going

Taking a risk

Not living in a tiny protected bubble

Going out and exploring

Seeking adventure

Looking for the things that move me

Not afraid to try them

Taking the leap and going for it

I am so thankful I live this way

Willing to put myself out there

Experience the moment

Be present with where I am

If I did not have that in me

I never would have the experiences I have had

Seeing Mexico through the eyes of the people

Having my world open up at squam

Traveling to Brooklyn

Risking my heart and feeling the joy that comes with it

As well as the heart ache that can happen

If I was not open and willing

I never would have done any of these things

But here I am now

Exploring

Going on adventures

Riding my bike around 

Soaking in the beauty

The moments are here

To take the step forward

Take the risk

Take the leap

Grab the nervousness in the palm of my hands

Toss it up into the air

And go for it

she

thank you

I was hesitant to talk to you about it
I thought your honesty would bring me down
You know the questions to ask
The ones that dig deep
Bring out the words I do not know how to express
So I held back for awhile
Afraid of how it would all unfold
Unsure of even what to say
But these past few weeks
You have surprised me
So understanding and non judgmental
I was not expecting that
I was preparing for battle
Preparing for the hard questions
The ones I do not have the answers to
Thank you
For taking it all in
Asking me the questions that make me think
Force me to speak from the heart
Thank you for being patient
When I struggle to find the words
And talk in circles
I am so grateful for you
The way you challenge me
And how you still show up when I struggle
You are a gift to me

brought back home

It helps me to have that kind of friend
Who can sit beside me and say
"Remember when..."
Together we can journey back

She reminds me of how far I have come
How many obstacles I have hurdled
How many brick walls I have faced
And how no matter what I stood up
Strong, and brave, putting one foot in front of the other

She shows me myself
In a way I sometimes struggle to see
Reminding me how much I have opened up
Showing the world what lies deep within me
Even laying out the vulnerable pieces
To be examined
To be healed

Revealing these pieces of myself have helped others to heal
And move forward on their own journeys
My words have brought forth inspiration
The look in my eyes has calmed worried and tired souls
My ability to sit and listen, and just be present with someone
Has brought strength to those who felt they could not go on

There are moments when I forget
How far I have come
I become to engulfed in the problems
That I am creating in my own mind
Not living in the present
Or appreciating where I am today
This friend brings me back
Opening my eyes up
Allowing me to see myself, as myself

It is a gift to have this type of friendship
To share together
Laugh together
And to bring each other back when we are lost
I am so very grateful

roller coaster ride of emotions

I am an emotional creature
Feelings affect me deeply
Happiness and sadness
Raising me up and dragging me down
At times it can feel like a roller coaster ride
Never knowing what the next turn will bring
Intense highs and plummeting lows
With many twist and turns
I am terrified of roller coasters
I hate that feeling that comes in the pit of my stomach
But I have been known to give them a try
Unsure of where they will take me
I jump on
Even though I know it may lead to tears
My emotions ride through me
The light and the dark
Each showing their face
With me guessing when they will arrive
When the lightness is within me
I am shining, brilliant
A smile dancing across my face
But then the darkness takes over
And I feel like I will never make it out
Staring off into the abyss
Struggling to find the light
The only thing to do is ride it through
Embracing the twist and turns
Allowing the tracks to take me
To my next destination
and coming off the ride
Stronger, braver, more confidante in myself

I was hesitant to even begin
Because I knew what could happen when I did
I knew the road that I had potential to travel down
The twist and turns that could arise
The dead ends that I might face
Oh man, was I hesitant
Fearful even, of taking that step into this known sea of instability
I thought I was doing good
Taking all necessary precautions
Devising a plan to protect me on this journey
But there are some things you simply cannot prepare for
And like they say, all best plans usually fall to the way side
So now I am just looking for a way to slip out into the night
Unnoticed, unscathed
Erasing all memories
Reseting myself back to the way I was before

gratitude

In this moment I am grateful for ~
*  The warm sunshine that shone down today
*  The peace infused in my soul from riding my bicycle
*  Being able to ride on my bicycle to places like the one pictured above
*  My magical backpack that holds contents of my heart
*  Friends who tell me like it is, even if it is not what I want to hear
*  Being pushed and challenged to be my best self
*  Twinkle lights above my bed
*  Discovering Pablo Neruda
*  Sitting outside soaking up ~the music lesson~
*  Little messages that arrive in the palm of my hand

What are you grateful for today?

taken back

I was not expecting to be pulled back today
To that moment in time
When my world was flipped upside down
I had no idea
That I would be reliving the day all over again
And taken back to the place when it all came together in my head
It played like a movie in my mind
The words that passed between us echoed in my ears
Bringing me down
Making me feel so small
It was awhile back when it all unfolded
Me standing before you with my heart bleeding
As you poured salt on the wound
Time has passed
My heart has healed
But for a brief moment I was there again
The record playing on repeat
As my mind tried to figure it all out

tranquility

There was no time schedule to adhere to
No place that we had to be next
It was just the two of us
Together in the moment
Soaking in the beauty of nature
Listening to the ocean sing us a song
And feeling the warmth of the sun shine down

Tranquility washed over me
As we sat on the cool sand
Close to one another
Each sharing our story, and
Absorbing the peace that comes with silence
We sat there for awhile
You and I

We had the opportunity to just be
In the moment
Exactly as we are
No expectations, no agenda
Just two individuals showing up as themselves
Feeling comfortable with who they are
Breathing in the beauty around them

In this chaotic world
It is these moments that ground us
Awaken our spirit
Illuminate our soul and give us strength
For all the unknown that lies ahead
It is a gift to be given these moments
And a blessing to feel the wisdom they hold

stepping into life

You can get anywhere
At any time
Even if you do not know where you are going
All you have to do
Is take that first step

You know what that step is
It is the one that is difficult to take
The one where fear shouts its terrible words at you
Restricting you from moving forward

But once you push the fear aside
Surrender to the unknown
Let go
And just see where the ride takes you
You are off on an adventure
And you forget what was holding you back all this time

There are many means of transportation
Each giving us a different perspective
Each leading us on a new adventure

Sometimes we may fly high above everything
Looking down on what is below
So small
So tiny
Bringing us a new perspective

Other times we need to go below
Under the cloak of darkness
Moving cautiously
Looking around
Figuring it all out on our own

No matter what mode of transportation you use
What is important is that you are in motion
Taking hold of your dreams and going for
Climbing over obstacles
Taking out the map when you get lost
Pretending to know what we you doing, even when you haven't a clue
Constantly moving

There is no destination
No one place to arrive
It is about the journey along the way
Embracing the unexpected
Connecting with the people you meet
Laughing at yourself
Creating memories and carving a smile into your heart

It is about doing what you love
Listening to what speaks to
And going for it
Not holding back
But surrendering to the path that unfolds before you

It may seem scary
But know that we all feel fear
We all do not know what is coming next
We are all in this together
Here for each other
Supporting one another
Loving each other

So take that first step today
The step you know you have to take
I am right there beside you
Holding your hand
Cheering you on
Just like I know you are here beside me

a magical place

I walk through the doors and we smile at one another
We do not know each other
But this place brings us together
I seek out new worlds to discover
And you open me up to things I never knew of
Taking time out of your busy day
You show me kindness
Our interaction is always brief
But each time I walk out the door
I am smiling
These brief encounters
Expand my world
And remind me of the goodness it holds

simple moments

It is the simple moments
That make life precious
The time spent with people we care about
Sharing stories about life
Revealing our truest dreams
Letting down our guard
And opening up
Sitting in nature together
Soaking in the beauty
Allowing the moment to simply just be
Laughing together
Being present with each other
It is these moments
That fill our hearts
And etch memories onto our soul
They may seem so simple
But they run deep inside of us