Low hanging fruit

Dear One,

OK. I know this is low hanging fruit. And sometimes we should leave it for others to pick. But if you were talking to you right now-- what would you say? See I have an advantage. I've listened to you. And these are some of the things I've heard you say. So without further delay, here's the dozen picked especially for you.

First off, yes. This is not a state fair blue ribbon fruit. But I've been to the state fair pavilion Seven years in a row, in fact. Lots of flies. And loads of trauma. Nothing for hungry children or thirsty adults. So can we agree that maybe we're better off with applesauce or hard cider, anyway?

Go to the doctor already. You would have driven your best friend there in a snowstorm by now, and it's a beautiful sunny 70 degree day.

Why is how he feels or what she says important? You don't like them anyway .

Sure you can change jobs. You can change living space. You can change significant others. But in the words of the poet-philosopher Yogi Berra, who was also hella good at second base, "wherever you go, there you are." Wonder why where you are at is looking like the last place you were? Look know further than the Yogi.

Do you really think that you're not worth it? Because you're living like you're not worth much.

Recognizing that it's time to go find a neutral third party to help you gain some perspective on the problems in your life is a good thing. Therapy is not an enemy. Embrace it.

Get to know yourself in your own house, before you find yourself in the home of another. You are incredible. All by yourself.

Yes, there are details. No, the details don't matter. Until the moment the details own you. Because then they begin to define you. Look around. Are you in charge, or are the details?

I know you're lonely, but if you don't love you, how in the world is anyone else going to be allowed to love you? Love at its best isn't a negotiation. And you don't need to trade pieces of your body and parts of your heart just so someone will love you.

If you keep cutting yourself down and allowing others to cut you apart, soon there will be nothing left. And maybe you find that thought comforting, but I sure don't.

I know. You're working on it. Isn't everyone? Don't you think everyone was working on an ark after it started to rain? Only. One. Got. Built. Why do you think that was?

You are precious. You are important. You are loved. You are lovable. You are beautiful. You are treasured beyond words. You have far more value than you know. The story of you is worth the price of admission, and it can't be high enough. You're incredibly smart. You are one I'd run to for any reason. You mean so much to so many. You are needed and necessary.

Dear one, Understand that I love you-- up to and including both of my kidneys. As we've discussed, my liver is still in recovery, and no one wants that, right now, but you can have both of my kidneys. I'm old. And I have plenty of time for daily dialysis. You are not a problem to be solved. You are not a machine to be fixed. You are simply a child to be loved. And sometimes love involves tough questions. We'll leave it at that, for now.

And I know that you don't believe any of this is for you right now. But can we agree to come back to it someday? Because by then, you might decide that you want to believe it. And then you can stick to spending time with people who believe it about you. Because the strangest thing will happen. Some day, in the future, you will believe it to. I know this, first hand.

thus spake,

me