Reflection.

"Look around you. This is what is important. This is what life is all about. I can see in your eyes a tiny sparkle, a glimpse of the life inside of you just waiting for you to set it free."

She looks into the water and in her reflection sees the face of a girl who looks tired and old run down and worn. A face that at first looks like there is nothing left no hope no future. Dirty and withered. And normally that is all she would see. A girl in pain a girl who is ready to give up. But this time something is different. She looks a bit harder desperate to see what this wise person does. She moves her face closer and really looks deep into the eyes staring back at her. And she sees it. A slight glimmer that does not match the rest of the face. A glimmer of hope. She can see a life that is not filled with pain but with happiness and tranquility. A life where she is free. And she realizes that no matter what she may look like to the rest of the world no one can take that away from her. No one could ever steal the twinkle in her eye where her true spirit resides or her desire and need for a life that is different. Suddenly the water seems to be a little clearer the sky a little higher the sun brighter and the breeze warmer. The clouds fluffier and the sand softer. And she knows in that moment that this is what is truly important. This is what she wants to remember and carry with her every day. This is what she wants to live for. She stands up and looks behind her to thank the wise person but she is gone. And breaking the calm silence a meadowlark sings. The most beautiful sound she has ever heard.

Gone Too Soon.

"There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, the light remains."

In light of some recent events, I've been thinking a lot about a friend that I lost. This one is dedicated to her, and anyone who was taken from this world a moment too soon. ♥

Kit:

Did you get the chance
to swim in a sea of sunlight?
or melt into a wealth of sand?
I will never know,
you are gone too soon.

Did you get the chance
to be drunken with happiness?
or love with reckless abandon?
I'm only asking,
you are gone too soon.

Did you get the chance
to surf along the amazon?
or feel ocean between your toes?
I can't catch my breath,
you are gone too soon.

Did you get the chance
to devote yourself to the earth?
or breathe life into another?
Please tell me the truth,
you are gone too soon.

Did you get the chance
to become helpless with laughter?
or dance in a cascade of rain?
I wish I knew why,
you are gone too soon.

Brandy Alexander.

This is my thinking song.

And here is a thought. I have a lot to offer this world. I have philosophies and ideas and perceptions that are unique to my life and all of the experiences that have carried me to this particular thought. In this particular moment. No one else can offer what I have to offer. No one else can understand all of the thoughts feelings emotions that fill my head and entire being.

It goes down easy...

Words are my life. I feel most complete when I am contemplating and creating. When I am writing, developing thoughts, spilling my soul and my heart onto a sheet of paper. It is the only way I can deal with all of the madness swirling around me. I am unsure of what I would do without being able to channel my energy through my fingertips and into something concrete. Something that I can look at and read and make sense of. Or maybe even not make sense of. Who said it had to make sense? Most of my thoughts feelings emotions don't make any sense. Which actually kind of makes sense in a world that makes no sense at all sometimes. Does that make sense? To me it does. But that's just me.

A Cup of Coffee.

There's nothing more calming and reassuring to me than sitting in a coffee shop and just watching and listening to the world happen around me. I can't imagine anything more wonderful than this place of security and solace that brings people together for all sorts of different reasons. Whether it is to enjoy some much needed solitude for a brief period of time, to think and contemplate life and all of its ups and downs, to sit with a good friend talking about anything and everything for hours on end... Or my personal favourite: to soak up inspiration from my surroundings and let all of it out through my fingertips onto a clean white sheet of paper. No matter what the motives are, everyone sitting in this quiet setting shares one commonality. Their cup of comforting warmth that ultimately brought them here. How can something as simple as a cup of coffee bring so much joy and stability to one's life? What a beautiful way to escape the crazy, complicated world outside. I find it amazing that there is a way for us to leave it all behind; a way to relax and rejuvenate, if only for a few minutes or hours. I can hear the calm silence of those reading books and newspapers. I can hear the chatter and laughter among friends catching up. I can hear the blending and creating of drinks shaped to each individual's personality. I am surrounded by life and presence and comfort and thought and words. How fabulous.

Emilia.

My grandfather was over for our Thanksgiving dinner this evening and he mentioned a poem that I had written for him and my grandmother, who has since passed away. He still reads it often and remembers her with many different emotions... Painful, yet peaceful all at the same time. It is so important to find ways to remember the ones we have left behind, and remind ourselves that it's okay to think about them, it's okay to miss them, but it's also okay to move on with our lives and be happy. It can be such a difficult balance to find, but so worth it once we do. I miss my grandmother dearly, but I look back with fond memories and deeply appreciate the beautiful person she was.

Edmonton, 1944:

She wore crimson stained lips
and gazed over her shoulder with gentle assurance.
The wings unfolded across his chest
swelling and deflating with breaths of certainty.

The courting commenced.
Three visits and miles of prose,
all the while being drenched by his debonair aura…
Blue Sky Pilot
Dashing didn’t even begin to describe
his stride, his stare, his unflinching desire for her.

And those lips…
Black cherries dripping with lust.
Those lips were all he needed.
"True Love"
He knew it was cliché but
how else was he to describe this vivacious being?

A beautifully entangled life outstretched before them
they knew nothing of.

Living.

What does it mean to truly live?

Living means freedom in your mind, body, and soul. It means noticing how blue the sky is on a clear day. It means taking in a deep breath of fresh air every time you get the chance. Living is your way of owning who you are, what you believe in, and what you are fighting for. It means not regretting the past or fearing the future. It means loving your family and friends with everything you have and appreciating their presence in your life every single day.

Moments. It’s all about moments.

Especially the moments when you really, truly know there is no one else you'd rather be and nowhere else you'd rather be. When you are perfectly happy being you and nothing else matters. Each moment is an opportunity to live completely and fully. Living can lift your spirits or it can rip you apart. Either way, it means feeling emotion with every ounce of your being. Feeling it in your toes and your fingertips. Feeling it all the way up your spine and radiating throughout your core.