Gratitude. I wrote this poem as a gift, as a prayer, hoping that I will never forget to be thankful for this life I live and love. It is filled with all the memories I hold, all the beauty I have seen. If we lean in together and continue to build this wild idea of gratifying hope, perhaps when it’s the end of our days, we can rest a little easier. We can look back on all those stories we told, all the love we shared, all the hands we held. We can look back and say, “I made this all possible; I followed my wildest dreams even when they weren’t crystal clear.” Isn’t that what life is truly about; loving deeper, reaching further, leaning into our doubts and fears to continue to grow? I think it is. And when I need a little reminding of this, I will look back on these words I have written. I will remind myself that even if today feels heavy with darkness rather than light, beauty is still everywhere. So, let us lean into it. Come closer. And as always, thank you for crossing paths with me. Thank you for stopping by. 

THANK YOU FOR THIS LIFE

When I look at the way, my heart always bled, how my tears never fell.

I think at this moment,

I must not be human.

I want to create a world that is full of passion.

Drips with hearts that have been bled dry

and keep on beating.

I long to live in a world where children teach us lessons.

Where we all say,

“Thank You,”

at the end of each day.

When I was a little girl

I use to sit in the sand building castles,

always with the wise knowledge of a six-year-old that this place would be my palace.

Sometimes, when my eyes are shut

I forget which universe I am in.

Then I open my eyes and think,

how do I make this world more beautiful?

How does one make history when all you have is a book full of poetry –

a mind full of fears?

But I have always found fear exquisite.

It reminds me that I am alive,

teaches me to breathe deeper.

It tells me there is blood pulsing 

like the wild drums inside my veins.

Someday, when my breathing becomes shallow and my eyes refuse to open,

I hope all I will have is a full, happy heart

and the strength to mutter,

“Thank You,”

with my final sip of air.