hear me, please.

there's moments that make you a little leaf that's very shaky,
and you don't need to be a leaf,
you just need to be you and be happy and stop being so worried
about cold weather and grades and
test scores and a boy who wants to tell you everything.
and you need to stop thinking about time ticking
and about people leaving and
about things that hurt and are wrong and are scary.
and you need to hug more.
and when you hug, you should hold on as tight as you can.
and you should hold onto them as long as you can and you should be quiet and let
yourself remember that sometimes, these things mean more than all the words
that always are overflowing your mouth.
and when you are upset, or you get hurt by something silly
by someone you never thought would hurt you,
take a second or two or twenty and listen to them. and maybe they never thought they would hurt you either. maybe they didn't hurt you at all.
and when your head feels fuzzy,
go talk to mom.
no, don't wait till tomorrow,
go talk to mom, now.
and when you look outside and it looks nice,
go out there and breathe. breathe in. breathe out. breathe in. breathe out. and fill up your lungs and feel your lungs fill up.
and when you love someone, tell them. and tell them a lot.
and tell them when you miss them and when you want to kiss their lips. and
smell them and smell them and smell them and don't forget how it smells.
and for heavens sake, when you want to go home,
go home.
dream dream dream dream dream and dream and keep on letting your dreams get bigger.
and stop being scared of everyone who knows more than you.
because you know a lot of things. you know things that no one knows.
and if you can't hear me, read it out loud,
because i want you to hear me and know that i mess up but i'm bigger than this,
and that my heart is too. and i need to relax, but i love and live and love.
remember you aren't perfect, and they aren't either, will you?
remember that sometimes things are worth the fight.
but mostly, remember you are wonderful.
you are. yes, you. and i am. and we are. and
well,
lets just go ride some bicycles and forget all this mess, shall we?


"come here, let me hold you."
love, laura