Swim

All she wanted was to swim freely and comfortably without stress or the fear of impending tears to moisten dry skin chafed from waring with life. To be able to wake and welcome the rising sun with a heart not full of malice or contentment. She wanted life to be what she'd waited for it to be; she needed it to be worth the wait. Her days were long and the strength she put into them just to make it out stressed her already aching back like a mother pushing her child into a life she'd spend forever protecting him from. The crows who visited on yester days left their mark at the vertices of her gently worn chestnut brown lids. The struggle for her, by all means, was and is real. There is no escaping it and even if it were, she wouldn't because she recognizes the beauty in life's hard times.

The Good Guys

When we're with other people, romantically and intimately, when feelings become involved and sincere, the worst thing is to be hurt. And when the hurt is repeated, the thought of doing it once again, hurts even more. I guess that's how the above post came about. 

She's one of my favorite writers and a dear friend though we haven't seen each other in years, but, eh, we keep in touch a la social media and our deep desire to be writers forever who lounge in cardigans with frumpy clothing as we get lost in our worlds. We just want to write and be happy while doing so.

But, we also both want and desire for a relationship that makes us cry because it's just that damn thorough. Not one that makes us cry because we're left so empty wanting the fullness what was promised versus what was actually delivered. 

One of life's sweetest gifts to us while venturing this Earth are relationships. And don't roll your eyes either - you know it's true. Relationships, companionship, and the love that eventually grows are some of life's beauties. Relationships are absolute beautiful beings when they work. They're the best things since sliced bread, since mind blowing, toe curling, breathtaking sex, since good music - take your pick - when the people functioning in and out of it, work and function together. 

But this is life, so we know more times than not, we not only hear the war stories of the heartbroken guy whose former love of his life is forever known as "The Whore" or the bitter gal who's convinced forever more that all men "Ain't Shit", but we're too sitting on the frontline, armored from head to toe, fighting this ongoing battle for love. 

It's not true that all good girls like bad boys. Just like it isn't true that all men want the video vixen resembling wife. A lot of us, whether we want to admit it or not, are OK with the everyday around the way girl or guy *que the LL Cool J classic*. But just because you're from around the way doesn't mean you have to conduct yourself as such. Right?

There's a million wrong ways to seek and find what we want out of a potential partner, a possible boo, a probable life partner. But, there aren't too many right ways to do it either. Just rolling with it is how we eventually handle the search.

But the search, sometimes, is daunting.
 Usually, in the end, it all works out. It all pans out the way we've wanted it to be all along - so long as we allow ourselves and those who we deal with, to be their natural selves while we push and advocate for them to be their best selves.

So the next time we venture out in search for the best missing link to ourselves, remember that if we want the good guy (or the good girl), we have to give them something to be good for. Just remember: originality goes farther than creating something that doesn't exist.

video reposted for entertainment. no rights owned.