And you learn that
kisses aren't contracts
and presents aren't
promises
and you begin to
accept your defeats
with your head
up and your eyes open
with the grace
of a woman
not the grief of
a child.
And you learn to
build your hope on today
as the future has
a way of falling apart in mid-flight
because tomorrow's
ground can be too uncertain for plans
yet each step taken
in a new direction creates a path
toward the promise
of a brighter dawn.
And you learn that
even sunshine burns
if you get too
much
so you plant your
own garden
and nourish your
own soul
instead of waiting
for someone
to bring you flowers
and you learn that
love, true love
always has joys
and sorrows
seems ever present
yet is never quite the same
becoming more than
love and less than love
so difficult to
define.
And you learn through
it all
you really can
endure
that you really
are strong
that you do have
value
and you learn to
grow
with every goodbye
you learn.
by Joy Whitman
Graphic by~LaGitane~
