"Do you remember who you were before the world got it's hands on you?"
Because I do. I remember the colors and how much more vibrant they were. I remember my little brother and I asking my mom for hot chocolate with marshmallows in the middle of summer and her having the warmest smile on her face.
I remember her driving somewhere and all the windows being down on the corsica, sun flickering brightly through the trees we'd pass and me laying my chin in my elbow out the window smiling with my eyes slightly closed. I didn't have to imagine being somewhere else, because I was right where I needed to be.
There were, no worries.
I remember bliss.
And I believe we can still have that as we get older. Those "childlike" blissful moments. You either have to create them for yourself, or find someone or something that will naturally bring that joy out in you. Because the moment you forget who you were ( and I mean who you REALLY were) is the moment you start diminishing, fading, simply just exsiting and not living.
If I could go back in time, I wouldn't.
I understand the importance of moving forward and looking ahead. And I've made my mistakes. I have. But I'm learning to embrace that yes, the world got it's hands on me, but, it's made me who I am right now in this very moment.
I am a beautiful, Black and Puerto Rican Women.
(..and by the way, if your Puerto Rican, YOUR BLACK)
My heart is strong but my spirit is stronger. I listen to my elders. I let my gut and intuition guide me. I always try to leave people better than the way I found them.
Blossoming from beautiful Cleveland, then moving across the country meeting interesting people and traveling has allowed me to really taste the sweet and the bitter parts of this beautiful thing we call "life". In my Instagram profile it used to say:
Artist & Wanderer" and believe me, I've paid the price for being both. To have to be accepted as an artist, not knowing if your work is good enough or if you'll make it doing what you love. Always being on the go, moving and never settled. I mean yeah it's the ultimate freedom, but theres so much uncertainty that comes with it. Being a "Wandering Artist" free with out restrictions allowed the girl in this picture to grow, to relocate a few times, to travel, to witness change not only in this crazy world but within herself. It allowed her to have new and exciting experiences, experience heart break, pain, grief and guilt. I finally saw what I'm capable of. My strength. That thick skin that I've always needed to survive, has been gracefully earned-
