Looking Glass

To a girl I used to know,

I saw a beautiful portrait this morning.

She had sad eyes, but her smile maintained a sense of airy simplicity. I examined her elusive presence and tried to breathe her in, but all I could see was you. I couldn't let go of you enough to embrace her; so I stood there staring vacantly.

They always said you were the naive one. I suppose to some extent, that is true. But your sensitivity to what others find mundane and your ability to appreciate what they take for granted is not a lack of sophistication; it's wisdom. Sometimes the world is more accurate through the eyes of a child. I miss that about you.

You think you're restrained by your fear of what you cannot accomplish; but I now know that you're restrained by your fear of what you can. In time you'll learn that while you crave all the comfort in the world, you are at your best when you are far from it. You shine when you are in turmoil.

Never give out of obligation. You think they're grateful, but you'll have missed the point.

Your most life changing moments will be when you are most exposed. Embrace the humility.

That man. He's not for you. Walking away doesn't always make you a bad person; sometimes it makes you a wise one.

The day you learn to invest in yourself is the day you will have understood that you are most deserving of your own time.

That man will come again.

And again.

And again.

You will see his core doesn't change. His essence doesn't change. And he will always be attainable. He may not be as tall, as dark, as handsome, or nearly as well dressed; but when the time comes for you to receive him, he'll be what you need.

Watch those shoulders. They're starting to get stuck behind your ears. Loosen up.

The end will always terrify you. It's not because your soul is misguided. It's because you have attached yourself to the footing of your happiness. God is so real to you that you see His face in the life around you. Don't work so hard to uproot your fears. They're necessary.

Be great. If you fall short, try again.

Live each day with purpose and on purpose.

Buy all the quirky mugs you like and don't let a blank piece of paper out of your sight without jotting something down. Write for me. I need you to speak. I need you to process. But live past your pages. Live in spite of your pages. Just live.

As those sad eyes began to water, I broke contact and took a breath.

I was never meant to let you go. I'm meant to embrace you further.

You're not a girl I used to know. You're a girl I'm getting to know better.

Photo Credit: flexwi.com