I hope

And you don’t have to believe that they define you (please don’t)

But sink into them, like a rock

And feel them with curiosity and love

I hope you know it’s okay to be sick,

It’s okay to be injured,

And it’s okay to cry when you are hurt

Please take time to heal, instead of pretending you are fine

You never need to be fine

I hope you know it’s okay to ask for a pause, 

for clarification, 

to ask questions when you’re confused

You never need to pretend

And I hope you know it’s okay to say stop when something makes you uncomfortable, 

or when you can’t put your finger on it, but something just doesn’t feel right.

I hope you know that your body is yours alone

Not for other people to abuse, punish, or change to their liking

And your body is just right–

Absolutely beautiful,

I hope you can see that

I hope you know it’s okay to speak up,

That it’s okay to have beliefs that other people might not share

You may feel like the only one

But I can assure you, you’re not. 

I hope you share your ideas, with reckless abandon,

And I hope you know, that your mind and soul are uniquely beautiful

The world needs them exactly as they are

I want you to know that sometimes the right thing is brutally painful

Doing it will shake you to your absolute core

But you’ll know it’s the right thing

Because there’ll be a sense of peace

Maybe not external peace, at least in the beginning,

But a kind of peace that your soul can feel

Bravery, I’ve learned, 

Feels like your heart beating out of your chest,

Like almost sh*tting your pants,

It feels like understanding there are very few things you can control,

And still holding space for yourself and your beliefs.

And maybe wisdom is when you recognize

You’re perfect, Exactly as you are.