dear _____,
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
there will be times that running away… far far away, will seem like the smartest thing to do. but know this, it’s not. running only puts the problem farther out of reach and harder to solve.
it’s not always going to be complicated either — learn to recognize the difference. learn to recognize the difference between someone else’s tragic bullshit and your beautifully complicated story.
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
when you’re young… too young to know such things, too young to worry about such things, too young to experience all of that — that complicated soul searching bullshit that you are too young to think about… stop. walk away. retain your childhood, the carefree skipping around in life that we are all entitled to — yes, entitled to.
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
when that summer seems to go on forever, lie on the ground and stare up at the stars and know the complete feeling of being so small and alone and yet you will never feel so connected to the world. let the shining of the stars and the chirping of the tree frogs and the swooping of the bats paralyze you with the knowledge that you are small… in the very best possible way, you are small.
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
stick around after closing time, that’s when all the best stories will reveal themselves but don’t become a story someone else writes. don’t waste time looking for a perfect apple… they all have bruises and those bruises have something to say — listen. listen to their story. don’t stand still, don’t ever stand still, keep moving forward.
and remember, forward won’t always be the right direction or the best direction or the safest… but you don’t need the safest.
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
when you get to the bottom of your rope, don’t tie a knot in it — let go. yes, let go and soar and be curious about what’s at the bottom. no more directionless, no more drifting, no more worrying, no more wishing — just let go.
never be made useless.
so don’t run away… reach out, reach out as far as you can and keep reaching — the hand you’ve been waiting for will be there.
dear _____,
stay.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
Loved it so much that I’m printing it out for my tortured 15 year old daughter who needs to hear this. Thanks!
Best comment ever. Thank you. 🙂
Still loving it, btw.
Mwah!
I’m staying. I’m going. I’m letting go. I’m holding fast. All at the same time in this new world that I adopted last October. You say it so well dear Becky, the need for action and movement is not such an imperative for me these days, but the need to stay and stand fearlessly is always there.
Exactly… and knowing when to move and when to stand still are so important. I love that you’re so happy with your new place… it’s amazing.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.
such truth ❤ love it
Thank you June. ❤
Wow Becky! Just wow. xo
xoxo
Thank you!
I fell in love with this, Becky! We were just talking about love letters last night and now look what’s up on your blog ❤
Thank you for making my day! *hugs*
I know! I’ve had this “letter” poem swimming in my head for a week or so. I jotted down some words while camping over the weekend. Thank you for your support!
ps — I owe you a return email!
I like this a lot. I especially like the dear ___ — it’s clear what type of person it’s to 🙂
Thank you! I started, originally, to have a name there but wanted it to be more open-ended… in hopes that more people could read something into it.
learn to recognize the difference between someone else’s tragic bullshit and your beautifully complicated story—amen, we can get so wrapped up in what others are doing or telling us we should do…and i love the repeat of stay and stand as we often run away and in that only further twist the skein….
Thank you Brian. I often confuse my own bullshit with someone else’s bullshit… I say let go of the bullshit!
🙂
yep, cause it has a pretty mean stench you know…then gets all dry and crumbly getting everywhere and then you have a real mess…
I think you’ve got a gift for encouragement through your writing. It is an incredible gift to have.
Wow… I’m completely touched by this, thank you so much.
This is absolutely beautiful and can apply to so many levels. I love the image of standing beneath the stars, small.
Thank you Laurie — I think it’s okay to be small sometimes. We don’t always have to be seen in a big way… sometimes we need our time to be small.
How beautiful and thought-provoking. Eventually, some need to leave unhealthy situations but hopefully will stay true to the possibilities of their life. This would be so good for a child/teen contemplating taking their own life. For anyone, for that matter. Touched me, Becky.
Thank you Victoria. I’m completely honored by your thoughts here, that’s an amazing thing you just said. I think, ultimately, I’d like to connect with people who read here… I’d like to leave something on these pages for them to think about.
when you get to the bottom of your rope, don’t tie a knot in it — let go. yes, let go and soar…think that’s my fav part as it sums up the independence and freedom….loved also the stay, stay and standing fearlessly
Thanks Claudia. I was feeling a sense of power and courage while writing this… thank you for seeing that!
Beautiful post. Wise words to share…really loved this…
Thank you so very much!
Read this out loud and my 16-year-old daughter asked me if it was a song. I said “it should be and you should listen to the words every day”.
great post, Becky
Oh Lance… thank you so much. So, so much.
Oh my! This is so beautiful. This should be printed out for every young person every where in the world. And they . . . the young in the wisdom or the glipse of it they receive can can share it with the adults that have not yet had the pleasure to read it!
Fantastic!
Thank you so much Terri. You’re so sweet to me, I’m just so humbled by your comment.
There is so much truth in this write! Well done! Love it Becky!
Thank you so much Mr. Watson!
Fantastic and beautifully plotted.
Thank you, I’m glad you found me.
Stand fearlessly in the medst of it all. Great encouragement. Great use of the power of the written word. Inspiring!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your words so much.
Great repetition here to drive home the loving advice. Standing fearlessly is something life tends to try to beat out of us–we all need to be dear___ and listen here.
Yes… I think we all need the “be a badass” talk once in a while. Thank you!
such a wise poem, so many lines we can all take to heart, and the form you used really delivered the message perfectly! i especially love the idea of letting go at the end of your rope, i need to remember that.
Thank you kelly. Yes, I need to remember that letting go is always an option too — who knows, might be something spectacular on the fall.
LOVE LOVE LOVE this, b!!!
♥
Thank you Dani! Xoxoxo
Love this one!
Warmly
Marinela
Thank you so much, I appreciate you coming over here and reading.
This is a love letter to the human race and some of the best advice I’ve ever heard or read. It is the ultimate message of faith, myth, religion. There is nothing except the NOW, there is nothing but going forward, running away is pointless as you take yourself where ever you go. Exceptional work!
Wow…. I’m so humbled by your comment. I can’t thank you enough for your support.
I like the unconventional way that this is written, a Desiderata for modern times, especially for those who seem to have lost their way.
Thank you… I think all of my poems have an absence of form, I like that. I think I always try to tell a story but sometimes metaphorically and sometimes in a poemy way. 🙂
I still like it 🙂 no matter where you have it posted.
Ha! Thank you, you’re adorable.
stay.
… and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.”
Something we tell our kids; our sons, our daughters. We want them to know that running away doesn’t take care of their problems, but that walking away from temptation is okay, and that through it all they have to stand strong and fearless and to know that we’re always there, our hand outstretched so they can grab hold of us when they need us.
However, we forget that this goes for us, the adults as well. Don’t run away from your problems; face them head on. Walk away from temptation, if need be run; be an adult, be responsible, but it’s okay to let your inner child enjoy running barefoot through the grass sometimes, but through it all, even if you have to cry, …
stay.
…and stand fearlessly in the midst of it all.”
A wonderfully strong piece; really enjoyed reading it. Be blessed.
http://elizena-lovingmycreator.blogspot.com/2012/05/princess-in-guilded-cage.html
Thank you for these words you’ve left here for me to find… I needed some encouragement and here you were, encouraging me.
Thank you so much.
btw, it was a nice surprise to see this poem taped to my daughter’s closet. way to go.
YAY!!! That’s amazing! I’m so thrilled!
Becky – this post is fabulous. I can tell I will reread it several times to catch all the nuances. I’m so glad you stopped by my blog, and thank the Universe for J’s portal of magic to connect us!
Thank you, such a nice thing for you to say. I’m filled with a big smile.