I am not a princess..

“Life had its seasons, and the season of letting go would always come, but there was something very beautiful in that, in the letting go. Leaves were always graceful as they floated away from the tree.”

“You must learn her. You must know the reason why she is silent. You must trace her weakest spots. You must write to her. You must remind her that you are there. You must know how long it takes for her to give up. You must be there to hold her when she is about to. You must love her because many have tried and failed. And she wants to know that she is worthy to be loved, that she is worthy to be kept. And, this is how you keep her.”

I will remember this when i feel ugly

Like a wild flower; she spent her days, allowing herself to grow, not many knew of her struggle, but eventually all, knew of her light.

It takes someone special to love a person who’s broken; someone who’s willing to look past all the cracks and fault lines to see the person the fragments form in their entirety… It takes someone with patience and a gentle spirit… someone who realizes that broken people may appear sharp and hostile, but are in fact fragile and need to be treated with care… But most of all, it takes someone who’s brave to love a person who’s broken because they will hurt you – even if they don’t mean to… There will be times you will try to hold them but they’ll be too afraid to let you close… Their words will be the weapons they use to push you away and they’ll sting you like splinters get under your skin… But if you are brave enough to try… to try again… to keep trying until you break through those defenses, you will find that a broken person will love you unlike anyone else ever has. Every fractured part of their personality will love you and reflect your love back at you a thousandfold. They’ll make you laugh, they’ll make you cry… they’ll be the biggest roller coaster of emotions you’ll ever know… but they’ll be worth it… so very worth it because their trust is worth its weight in gold… And with every part of themselves they uncover for you comes the knowledge that you are special… that you are their only one… that you are an explorer in an uncharted wilderness seeing a hidden treasure that nobody else has ever gotten close enough to see; that jewel of a smile that shines only for you…

Do whatever brings you to life, then. Follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.

1. People will promise to never leave you. They will. It’s okay to be sad when they do. 2. It is always okay to cry. Always. Find a bathroom, bury your face in your pillow, and let it out. Cry in the shower. Cry in the car. Cry when you need to. 3. Boys will flirt with you for a while and then ignore you. Then, they will flirt with you some more. It will be confusing. You have every right to stop putting up with it. 4. Pay attention to what people say when they’re angry. When you make up and they tell you they didn’t mean any of it, know that they did. Also know that they wish they didn’t. Forgive them. 5. Never pretend to be someone you’re not. If you don’t like tea and classic novels, don’t act like you do to impress people. If you don’t want to wear leather jackets and combat boots, don’t wear them to please someone else. 6. People will be mean to you; they will spread lies, call you names, and talk about you behind your back. Eventually you will realize that it is petty and stupid and not worth your time. You’ll be right. Move on with your life. 7. Your friends will not always be there for you. When you really need to talk, they will sometimes not want to hear it. That’s okay. Take a deep breath and remember all the times you felt the same way. Exhale. 8. You will wait and wait and wait for your first kiss and your first date and your first relationship. The anticipation will kill you. You will keep trying to find the right person in everyone you meet. Relax. There’s no rush. The best things happen unplanned. 9. Enjoy being young. Love that everything is spontaneous. As you get older, things become more and more scheduled out. Embrace the fact that you aren’t there yet. 10. Tell people how you feel. It will be terrifying in some cases and gratifying in others. It will create relationships and ruin them. But speak your mind, even if your voice shakes, because your thoughts may never otherwise be heard. 11. Sleep. If you go to bed late, sleep in. If you’re still tired when you wake up, go back to bed. If you can’t stay awake during the day, take a nap. Sleeping is a foolproof way of getting rid of your problems for a little while. Utilize it. 12. Talk to people. Talk to your sister about the guy she likes. Talk to your mom about her childhood. Talk to your dad about his favorite books. Talk to your grandparents about their families. Talk to your friends, talk to your pets, talk to the cute waitress at the restaurant. Learn things from them. Be inspired. 13. Always bring a sweater. Even if you think it won’t be cold. 14. Try new things. Eat a new food, try a new kind of juice, switch up the way you dress. You never know what you might end up loving. Life can get boring. Mix it up a bit. 15. Take care of yourself. Wash your hair with that good smelling soap you love. Eat fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of water. Go for long walks in pretty parks. 16. School is important. Try your hardest. If you don’t get something, ask for help. Do your homework. Show your teachers that you’re willing to work hard, and when it comes time to apply to colleges, you’ll be glad you did. 17. There will always be someone prettier, smarter, funnier, or more popular than you. The beauty of it is that it isn’t a competition.

Suddenly you’re 21 and you’re screaming along in the car to all the songs you listened to when you were sad in middle school and everything is different but everything is good.

Listen to me, your body is not a temple. Temples can be destroyed and desecrated. Your body is a forest — thick canopies of maple trees and sweet scented wildflowers sprouting in the underwood. You will grow back, over and over, no matter how badly you are devastated.