Showing posts with label teenager. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teenager. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

the day of love

Valentine's Day.
Here you are again.
Oh boy.

This holiday and I have always seemed to have a bit of a strained, but funny, complex, yet simple, and all the while a slightly bitter relationship. It's really not my fault entirely that this holiday and I have been on the fritz for most of my years now. 

Perhaps it's because the holiday revolves around pastel pinks & sassy reds while I am much more of a deep green & autumnal yellow girl. Or maybe it's because I secretly think roses are drab little flowers. But, honestly if I could place the blame anywhere {and I'm about to} I would put it, one-hundred percent, twenty absolutely's, and a service full of hallelujahs on:

High School.

It was the high school  l o v e  that I was not about. The awkward hand-holding, the carnation giving, the boxes of chocolate, and don't get me going about those little stuffed teddy bears. Barf. 

In high school.
On Valentine's Day
this girl wore 
black.

Yes black.
From head to toe.

I like to fancy this young push back against society as my earliest flirtations with my feminist awakening ... {wink. wink. elbow. elbow}

And while I would hate to limit and dismiss any rumblings of political engagement, I think there was something much simpler that I saw missing in my high school environment.


l o v e
for
oneself.

It might sound silly,
But I believe this is some of the hardest work of all.
Sometimes I need small reminders.

To choose myself.

To love the quirks.
The failures.
The aspiration.
To accept myself right now
just as I are ...
even without the list of New Years Resolutions.
It's hard work.
Hard, hard work.
Easier for some than others.
But it's our work
And it's good work

And that my friends ...
That is  l o v e. 

Sending you all my  l o v e  today.

From this girl,
who this year is wearing pink!!


- n.

{actually, no no. I couldn't do it. I can still celebrate and wear green. I can!}

Happy Valentine's Day.

Monday, February 21, 2011

young friend

i got a great reminder.
today.
in my inbox.
from my friend.


a few years
set themselves between us.
but time...
[as mary oliver teaches me daily]
its just another idea.


whenever i am with this friend.
or get to read
a few of her words
on my computer screen i am reminded
why
it is so important to have
friends in different
seasons of life.


she reminds me.
about what it means to be sixteen
heading to twenty-three.

and even though i think i 
tell myself everyday...
sometimes coming from my 
friend
in the middle of her teens.
i am caused to pause
in a new way.
by the wisdom
that her words hold.


natalie, explore! explore! explore!
stay young and enjoy the ride.
life moves fast.

yes friend you are so right.
and i will.
explore,
stay young,

 and enjoy.