I come to you
with this book that I spent years
writing and that I have published
and I throw it on the ground.
I will be going off script...
As I say these lines,
I want you to pay attention
to the images, memories
and feelings that come up.
I encourage you to sit with them,
before moving to the next line.
And I want you to experience this poem
from the vantage point of you
as a younger self, looking into the future.
Here it goes.
In spite of yourself,
one day
you will forget many things,
like
your childhood best friend
your favorite toy,
your favorite bed nite story,
your favorite middle school snack,
In spite of yourself,
you won't recall
your first crush,
that friend you made on the playground
your first painting,
your first steps,
the first time you ever laughed.
One day, the things you love the most will change,
and your hobbies will change
and your city will change,
your social circles and identity will change
and you will forget many faces
as you meet many others.
In spite of yourself,
one day you will forget
your favorite dance moves
and the dreams you were chasing
because as you get closer to them
they change with you.
But it's important to remember,
that we have also forgotten a lot of ugly
feelings and memories and self-hurting behaviors
and that life is brighter because of it.
In spite of ourselves,
let us remember, how many eerie feelings
we forgot and how good it feels
in your chest
to be alive and changing.
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