I have a few books by a woman named Sabrina Ward Harrison. She is a beautiful, personal artist and writes about life things along with her art. Anyway...I was reading through some of the pages I had marked a while back and wanted to share a few of my favorites with you (from the book Spilling Open):

"Oh this is what I need in love: spinning in the sun an laughing really hard. I need desire and "Ahhh's" and I need to be told brave true words. I need myself just as I am. I need my voice. I need a partner who will giggle & cherish me to my bones. I need real, real, real genuineness and and I need strength. I need true loving gestures & lots of drawing on the floor. I need honest dinner time talking. I need to be met halfway. I need to feel needed. I need to surrender. I need to feel understood. I need to not be mocked when I am being real. I need true kindness and love that glows brightly."

"Remember I don't have to be cool. I do not have to be slender. I do not have to be tricky. I do not have to be smooth. I do not have to be silent. I do not have to be loud. I do not have to be slick. I do not have to be her. I do not have to be loved by him to be okay. I do not have to hold on so tightly. I do not have to agree to be accepted. I do not have to wear cover-up. I do not have to be covered-up. I do not have to predict. I do not have to prepare (for the pain). I do not have to grasp. I do not have to have the answer. I do not have to be better. I do not have to be cool. I only have to be who I am."

"I think God leaves me alone to let me find my own strength because no one else can give it to me for me. Sometimes it is very lonely - but I know the lonely times teach me the most. I must let go in order to let everything in."

"Knowing someone else's life is passing away makes me want to show up living now - not 'then' when 'things' are taken care of and the weather is warm. TODAY I have a chance to make a difference now. I have the chance to help heal some of my own broken places and hopefully someone else's. We must realize that what we do matters. Our love matters truly. What remains that is good to others long after I am gone (that's why we are here). Life is too short to be cruel. It is too short to suck-in, hold in, not forgive. We just don't have time. Love is all there is to do. Forgive yourself."

"I am realizing that I am enough as is - a work in progress. I have looked at the love that surrounds me...the new love and hidden love and desired love. But something changes when I slowly turn my love towards myself. That's when my life becomes vividly full color. I think in healing ourselves we can take part in healing the world. I can see the life in me, I can stop hiding my freckles. I can look deeply into my own eyes and high up into the branches of trees. I can become myself."