What I'm learnt

As the years went by,

There were a few things that I learned.

The first being,

That no matter how badly you want them to,

Not everyone in your life will stay with you.

Things don’t always last,

And expectations sometimes lead to heartache,

So, my resolve was to not have any,

But to live each day as it comes.

To make memories with the people surrounding me,

To laugh without care,

To love with my all,

To cry when it hurts too much,

To let myself feel pain when I can no longer act immune!

To simply be human,

To be authentic,

To be real, whatever that may look like,

To keep my hopes realistic, even when I want it all,

To enjoy quiet nights by myself and not so quiet ones too!

I've learned to forgive myself,

To forgive those around me,

Because there is not one of us without sin!

What I’ve learned is that time is precious,

And at any point, our loved ones can leave us.

That there is no deadline for grief,

And no expiration date for the pain it brings.

What I’ve learned is that it is okay to look back,

It’s okay to think of the past as long as I am not reaching.

What I have learned is to allow myself to heal,

To speak kindly to myself and embrace my scars,

And that people can only meet me as far as I have met myself.

What I’ve learned is that no matter how nice I am,

No matter how kind or how loving,

Certain people would never like me,

And that it is okay!

What I’ve learned is that without meaning to,

The actions of the people I love can hurt me,

And my actions can hurt them too.

What I’ve learned is to be understanding,

To speak my mind without being hateful,

To speak my truth without being hurtful,

To not measure out the love I give by the love I receive.

What I've learned is to listen more than I speak,

To embrace every aspect of me,

This is what I learned as I turned twenty-three.