A Thank You Letter To My Cousins
To My cousins, My best friends, My sisters, my brothers
This letter is hard to write, only because with so many things to say, I don’t know where to start. Having a good relationship with your cousins is something to cherish and work towards. Putting in the effort to spend time together is important, and completely worth it. Growing up alone has been a challenge, but because of you, I still felt like I had a brother. You make me want to be a better person, and set a good example. The memories that I have made with you will last a lifetime, and I will never be able to thank you enough. Not seeing you much is so hard, but it make me appreciate our relationships so much more.
Thank you for making me laugh until my stomach hurts, even when I’m in the worst mood. Our constant inside jokes will live on forever, and I know that we will never get tired of repeating them. Staying up all night with you is one of the best memories, because everything is more fun at 2 AM. Being exhausted the next morning is worth it because of all the new jokes we made and couldn’t stop laughing about. Thank you for everything. Having a heart to hesrt talk with you is my favorite thing about hanging out. I love getting a glimpse into your life, and being able to give you advice when you need it. Thank you for always sharing things and opening up to me, while allowing me to do the same.
Thank you for always being exciting. One thing that I never question is the fact that we are going to have fun when we are together. No matter what else is going on, we make the best of it and create our own fun. The constant joy I feel when I am with you guys makes me smile from ear to ear. The bond that we all have is so special, and it's not something that most people can say they have with their cousins. Thank you for being your complete selves with me, and letting me be mine. There are no judgements between any of us, and that’s really special.
My first year of my phd was stressful, but hanging out with you guys this summer has helped me remember that life is fun, and we should take advantage of it. I love hearing stories about the drama with your friends, or with the girls in your life, because it brings me back to the more simple times in mine. In middle school, there was nothing more to worry about than the daily drama in your friend group, and looking back, it was nice not having to worry about so much. Thank you for reminding me that being carefree is a blessing, and that I should always strive to have fun.
Each and every one of you makes me a better person. I have learned so much from all of you, and every time I hear about your life or your stories, I am inspired. You are the most genuine young women I have ever met. Although we aren’t super close in age, you guys are so mature, and capable of so much. Thank you for always reminding me that I am capable of great things, and that we will always have each other. I hope that our relationships only continue to get better, because I love you all so much.
I cannot wait to see where each of you goes in life. You are all extremely smart, handsome, besutiful, fun and ambitious. Don’t let the little things get you down, and never give up on your dreams. Life is short, and I hope that you will all take advantage of it, while continuing to have fun. Each and every one of you has impacted me in a different way, and for that I am so grateful. Thank you for teaching me more than I’d ever be able to learn on my own. Thank you for picking me up when I’m down. Thank you for always pushing me to be a better person. Thank you for being my best friends and sisters. You are all amazing in so many different ways, and have big things ahead of you.
I love you, forever
@american
If fame belonged to me, I could not escape her; if she did not, the longest day would pass me on the chase, and the approbation of my dog would forsake me then.
A letter from E. Dickinson
Life isn't always full of reasons to Smile. But your Smile is a reason for others to Smile too! Always Smile!!
@american
You never know which footstep will bring a good twist in Life. Keep on walking!! Happiness comes when it is most Unexpected and always from the least expected source!!!💐 Have a Good day!
@american
🌷🌾🌿🌷🌾🌿🌷🌾🌿🌷🌾🌿🌷🌾
How do I love thee?
Elizabeth Browning, 1806 - 1861
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death🌷
@american
Dear Myself,
Life is scary. One day you wake up feeling like you can take over the world, and the next day you wake up feeling like all you want to do is to lay in bed and hide from everything. People walk into your life, grab your hand, and lead you the most beautiful path you've known, but sometimes the same people let go of your hand without warning, and you become stranded at a place where you never thought you'ld feel lost.
Let's be honest, sometimes everything is going so great and it seems like nothing could go wrong , but right when you begin to think that, something so horrible comes crashing down and all of a sudden more problems come riochecting around you and you just feel so hopeless cause it's so bad...so f*cking (excuse my French) , shitty!
It's so hard to understand why such things happen in life, and I personally wish I had an answer to that "why?" you always ask yourself , but all I can say that is no matter how hard life gets, you have to keep going.
The life around you will never stop going on. I'll be honest and say that sometimes I feel a little bit worried and all I can think is "will I be able to keep up? What if everything goes too fast?" But I realized that being scared and living with that burden of running away from problems only slow me down even more. And I've come to the point where I believe that because life never stops, I shouldn't stop either.
It's okay to take break and to give yourself time to heal, but you cannot give up and you cannot quit. There's so much waiting for us to do and we simply can't give fear the satisfaction of winning when we can give success, growth , and accomplishment.
Please believe in yourself and encourage yourself, instead of doubting yourself. Keep positive, fill you heart with gratitude for what ypu already have, and always remind to humble and true to who you are..Because even life is scary, and living it is even scarier.
With love,
Your Soul
@american
"You only have to do a very few things right, so long as you don't do many things wrong."
-Warren Buffett
@american
There are two primary choices in life...
1. *To accept conditions as they exist*
2. *Or accept the responsibility for changing them.*
@american
⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄⚀⚁⚂⚃⚄⚀⚁⚂⚃
Attitude is everything. Your energy flows where your attention goes. See that glass half full and not just half empty. Of course pessimism will always tell you its half empty. Thats no surprise and that's why pessimism is ignorance. Educate it! For a glass to be half empty means it has to also be half full! It's all how you see it and want to believe! Continue filling your life with goals and ideas to start overflowing your cup of fulfillment.
Guard your thoughts and do battle with any intruders like anxiety,worry, frustration or depressions. Today you are here and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Give yourself the honor and respect to be a better version of how you truly would like to be. That is success. Involve with those who set clear examples of what it& means to grow and live. Observe, learn and take action. Are you ready?
____________________
@american
You Alone Are Good Enough
I don't deal with change well. Actually, I would rather stay in the same place, with the same people for the rest of my life. Kind of in my own bubble. But life just doesn't work that way. I don't like to be pushed out of my comfort zone. It scares me to even fathom trying new things. But when I finally do, I find this new sense of identity and direction every time. It's a feeling I can't describe.
Before I lost my grandpa to cancer I had the perfect family, perfect childhood. We went on vacations, had big family dinners, parties and always spent the weekends doing things as a family. I guess you could say I was naive and oblivious to what was set to happen, which would change the course of my life, entirely. I don't think any 10 year old can ever understand what battling a terminal illness is like.
I was still playing with stuffed animals and barbies, holding onto my favorite red blanket any where I went.
I had that security that a lot of other kids didn't have. My parents were happily married, had respectable jobs, we lived in a comfortable, modest huge house and I had lots of toys and friends. I was in paradise.
That brief point in my life is now, only remembered through the dust-stained photo albums. Fast forward to four years later, in some ways I ache for the comfort and security I had before.
I never had to worry if we could afford to pay the bills, food on the table or a place to sleep, people and servants tending to my needs every step of the way. That luxury was given to me.
Until it wasn't anymore.
My family struggled Emotionally, and physically. But we did it together. That's what kept me strong.
The day my grandpa died we stopped living too it seems. His funeral was grand and We were uncertain what was to come. I had to mature and be resilient without a choice.
Since then I have always built walls around the people in my life in order to protect myself. It was my main coping mechanism when my grandpa was receiving treatment and continued after he died.
I've been so used to others walking in and out of my life. They all leave to find other people who suit them better or just get tired of me be so protective of myself. I struggle with anxiety. Every little thing is like a mountainous journey. I procrastinate and worry about everything. I have always been afraid of people. Because it's not easy grieving and feeling like you're always alone.
So I shut myself out even when I don't mean to. I can't control when I'm about to break down or just snap. I want so badly to feel controlled. To feel like I can cope and organize how I feel.
I can only find serendipity in music. I am a different person when I do music. That's what keeps me going.
I thrive on the memories of the relationship I had with my grandpa to keep me going. So even when I lose and gain friends I know that there is that constant that I will have for the rest of my life. And though I am fearful of where I go and what happens, I know that deep down the world is a beautiful place. Despite tragedy, loss and change.
Because this is how I grow, through every little victory. Because every day I look up to the sky and know that my grandpa and me are out there floating among the clouds. There is hope and possibility in every moment and every challenge I may face.
We are built to fail. But we are built to overcome. No one can help us find our identity, only we can. Who we are is a multitude of misadventures, fails and plenty of heart break and loss.
As much I yearn for friends that I once had, that are now a distant memory and the life I used to have with the most important person in my life, I know that my life ahead of me is going to be better. I have experienced alot more in twenty years than some people experience in their lifetime and that's what makes me who I am. I have a lot to give to the world and that's what I'm going to do.
Everyone has a story. Big or small. Everything matters. Who you are is so important to this world, I hope you never lose it.
@american
Most Alive
Spring had come to the mountains of my hometown. Fresh green grass was coming up in my yard. Yellow dandelions and buttercups were blooming in the meadows. Tulips and purple Phlox were growing in the flower boxes. Bumblebees and butterflies were dancing among them. In the woods white, purple, and pink blossoms were rapidly turning to green leaves on the trees. It was the most alive I had seen the world in a long time.
Yet, today dark storm clouds and heavy April showers had taken the sunshine out of Spring. It was gloomy and dreary as I drove to the local store for another week’s worth of food. I walked in and wiped the wet out of my hair and off of my glasses. After filling my cart, I paid for my groceries, and headed towards the door as I was clearing up the way when I heard a loud thud. I turned and saw that an older man with a walker had slipped and fallen to the floor. I rushed over to see if he was alright and with the aid of another man helped him to his feet, it took us several minutes and many attempts to lift him up and stable him in his upright position. He was unhurt and thanked us both several times. I headed back to my cart and pushed it to my car. The rain had stopped but the sky was still overcast. That didn’t matter, though, because on the inside, I was shining.
In this life I have found time and time again that we are most alive when we stop to help another. I have found that we are most ourselves when we are sharing love, spreading joy, and doing all we can to make this world a better place. I have found that we are closest to God when we are giving our kindness and compassion to everyone.
Don’t go through life just existing then. Live! Be the most alive you can be by sharing all the love, joy, and light that is within you. Let yourself shine on Earth and in Heaven.
@american
What Goes Around Comes Around...
A Lion lay asleep in the forest, his great head resting on his paws. A timid little Mouse came upon him unexpectedly, and in her fright and haste to get away, ran across the Lion's nose. Roused from his nap, the Lion laid his huge paw angrily on the tiny creature to kill her.
"Spare me!" begged the poor Mouse. "Please let me go and some day I will surely repay you."
The Lion was much amused to think that a Mouse could ever help him. But he was generous and finally let the Mouse go.
Some days later, while stalking his prey in the forest, the Lion was caught in the toils of a hunter's net. Unable to free himself, he filled the forest with his angry roaring. The Mouse knew the voice and quickly found the Lion struggling in the net. Running to one of the great ropes that bound him, she gnawed it until it parted, and soon the Lion was free.
"You laughed when I said I would repay you," said the Mouse. "Now you see that even a Mouse can help a Lion."
A kindness is never wasted.
@american
MOTHER'S DAY CELEBRATION
Today is Mother's Day in America. My family and I celebrate Mother's Day in a famous restaurant treated by our father every year. But this year, we decide to celebrate Mother's Day at home. We all planned the event weeks before. My mum was kept in the dark about the celebration.
On that day, my father brought my mum to have breakfast and then they went for a movie. My father was supposed to bring mum home in the evening. My cousin and I stayed at home to cook some scrumptious dishes while Eddy, my other cousin, went to the bakery shop to fetch the cake we ordered a week ago. He also stopped at the near by florist's to buy a bouquet of white roses.
Later, three of us decorated the hall with colourful balloons and we also hung a big banner on the wall. The banner was written " Happy Mother's Day! We love you very much mum!".
Everything was set up properly on the table and we had also put on our nice clothes to wait for our parents to come home.
It was about 6:00p.m in the evening. My dad brought mum back on time. As both of them entered the house, Eddy took out the cake and my cousin presented our mum the bouquet of white roses. At the same time, we all said " Happy Mother's Day " to her. Then we took turns to hug and kiss her. My mother was touched and she was in tears of joy.
Mother's Day is a crucial and special event for all the mothers in the world. It is the day for all the children to thank and appreciate their mother. Mothers sacrifice their life, time and love us unconditionally. What are you doing for Mother's Day today?
@american
You Have Made It This Far...
I’ve learned from life that sometimes, the darkest times can bring us to the brightest places. That our most painful struggles can grant us the most necessary growth; and that the most heartbreaking losses of friendship and love can make room for the most wonderful people.
I’ve learned that what seems like a curse at the moment can actually be a blessing, and that what seems like the end of the road is actually just the discovery that we are meant to travel down a different path. I’ve learned that no matter how difficult things seem, there is always hope.
And I’ve learned that no matter how powerless we feel or how horrible things seem, we can’t give up. We have to keep going. Even when it’s scary, even when all of our strength seems gone, we have to keep picking ourselves back up and moving forward, because whatever we’re battling in the moment, it will pass, and we will make it through. We’ve made it this far. We can make it through whatever comes through.
We have counted times without number how you have tried but failed, to add to injury, people who we have trusted say to us "told you; you cant make it"
That's a big lie! for the only person who can stop you from achieving beyond where you are is YOU.
"You alone can stop you"
Most of the times, we look down on ourselves. How then can people look up to us? you have to discover who you really are to think beyond the normal and ascertain to get there.
You are beyond where you are, for every stage in life is a starting point to another level if only you can look deep within you.
As a man thinks so is He; WHAT ARE YOU ALWAYS THINKING OF?
"Let no man limit you; you have equal space at the top!" Claim your space.
@american
The Comfort Of Love
I had a couch gifted to me from my grandma. The old couch had seen better days. The fabric of its cushions was ripped and torn in places. I had covered the spots in duct tape but foam was still leaking out of them. The springs inside of it were broken. The sheet we covered it with was torn, sewn, and torn again. The right front leg had worked loose and fell off whenever we sat down on it. All in all our couch had become beaten, battered, and very uncomfortable, but still I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it, because it was a gift from my Nana for my room when I was little.
For several months then I saved what money I could in order to buy a new one. Finally, I had enough and got a new, slightly smaller sofa that I hoped would last for years to come. We carried it up the steps and got it in place. While the delivery men hauled off the old one I looked over our new addition. It was strong and straight and soft and sturdy. With the day’s work done I looked forward to having a seat on it. I made myself a tall glass of iced tea and walked into the living room. I stopped short and stared. There on my new couch were my dogs curled up contentedly for a nap.
I smiled and didn’t shoo them off of it. Instead I sat down in my computer chair and watched them peacefully sleep for awhile. I didn’t mind sharing my comfortable new couch with them. After all, they had for years blessed me with the comfort of their love.
Love truly is the most comforting thing in this entire world. Nothing comforts us like knowing that someone loves us. Nothing comforts us like knowing that we are here to love people as well. Nothing comforts us like sharing our love with people, animals, and the world around us. Carry your love with you always then. Let it be your cozy chair and comfy couch. Let it give rest to your heart and revitalize your soul. Let it comfort you on Earth and carry you to Heaven.
@american