[A friend of mine was hurting recently and I was reminded of this poem. My mom sent this to me when I was in college and a boy broke my heart. These words helped me become a stronger person; a person who realized I really could stand on my own two feet; a person that some wonderful guy would someday be lucky to find (don't tell Shawn I said that - his eye rolling might hurt my feelings. ;) Hope it speaks to you, too.]
After a while you learn
the subtle difference between
holding a hand
and chaining a soul
and you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
and company doesn't always mean security.
And you begin to learn
that kisses aren't contracts and
presents aren't promises
and you begin to accept your defeats
with your head up and your eyes ahead
with the grace of a woman
not the grief of a child
and you learn
to build all your roads on today
because tomorrow's ground is
too uncertain for plans
and futures have a way of falling down
in mid-flight.
After a while you learn
that even sunshine burns
if you get too much
so you plant your own garden
and decorate your own soul
instead of waiting
for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn
that you really can endure
that you really are strong
and you really do have worth
and you learn
and you learn
with every goodbye you learn.
