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- Story Listed as: True Life For Adults
- Theme: Family & Friends
- Subject: Life Changing Decisions/Events
- Published: 06/15/2017
I can be me. A little girl faces the world.
Born 1951, M, from Wilmington NC, United States![I can be me. A little girl faces the world.](/storage/story/1497649988I can be me-image(416x250-crop).jpg)
She was far to young to be thrust into the World of Adults. Adults who should have known better- did not.
So they broke into her child’s world with adult concerns. She answered as best she could, but had no idea who all the strange people were. At least she had her dolly.
She went to school, just like everyone her age. She was all knobby knees, big hands, gangly and lanky - a girl on the edge of becoming a young lady. She was already pretty, but not yet attractive; she was taller than most of the boys and almost all of the girls. She wanted to be liked, but not noticed, for her shyness often wrapped around her like a blanket, comforting, but making her almost invisible.
Life threw some tough curves at her all through High School, her Senior year she developed her own curves. She could Rock an outfit now- especially since her body had caught up to her inner beauty. Her new found popularity and her old wounds combined to lure her with drink, with parties, with exciting (but dead end) brief boyfriends. She tasted a bit of bad boys, but they couldn’t tolerate her kindness, her generosity, and most tried to take advantage of her forgiveness. She weathered those years because her character was as well built, honest, and free- as any Castle, anywhere.
Life could try and storm her keep, chase her to a tower, render her unable to plan, to grow, to blossom, but Life lost. She found the strength to say to herself:
“I can be me! I don’t have to fill someone else’s need to be needed. I don’t have to forgive to be loyal. I can set my life on its own course, and I can sail by my own winds.”
That thought made her stronger. She smiles with a bit of a blush when she giggles at some of the things she did during her brief foray into bad boys, bad liquor and wild nights. She hadn’t found her balance yet, and the knobby kneed girl was still fresh in her mind. But she did get her balance.
At first she didn’t really know what she wanted from Life. Nor did she know what she wanted to Give Life. For in the end, we all only get back what we give. When we forget about lack, we receive plenty. But we must try, work, learn, grow, and yes…fail. She did all those things- and more. She was surprised at her excellent grades, they weren’t good grades, they were great grades. It always gave her a tiny thrill to see that her hard work paid off. She earned those grades, nobody gave them to her. She knew that. Now.
Like a lot of young people, she started finding her path, by choosing not to take the paths others had set for her. Her Mom, her Dad, her Brother, her Sister, her friends, had all chosen different paths, and she cheered them on. She didn’t judge them, or ask them to change, she just wished them well. Sometimes, they did not return the favor. She learned then to set boundaries.
No longer would she try to deal with Life, situations, or events, on someone else’s timetable. She learned to set strong boundaries.
“Not now.” She said to an Aunt. “Later.” She said to her Mom. “I am here if you need me.” She said to her sister. Her brother, she gently stood by his side until he decides - in his own time- to find his way.
“I can be me! I can live my life. I can plan. I can make things work. I can make a difference.” And she did. And she does.
The World dances around her in furious whirling dervish like motion - but she stays calm. She loves. She forgives. She cares. She is kind. She works hard, and wishes well for everyone. She knows now that you want to get the monkey of off your back, but her back, as strong and pretty as it is, remains clear of other people’s monkeys. She has forgiven herself, and is now learning how to be kind to herself too. Feeding a pack of monkeys (not of her making) with the drama they need to survive- well, she gave that up.
Now she is a woman, she can still rock a pair of shorts and a blouse, but her beauty is not an outfit, it is scaffolding of her soul. She beams at people and they beam back. She is safe and trusting, and many folks find that both safe and trustworthy. And so she grows some more:
“I can be me. It is enough. I like me. I like building my life, my way. I can do it. I will.”
Yes, young lady, you can. And you will. Just keep being you.
I can be me. A little girl faces the world.(Kevin Hughes)
She was far to young to be thrust into the World of Adults. Adults who should have known better- did not.
So they broke into her child’s world with adult concerns. She answered as best she could, but had no idea who all the strange people were. At least she had her dolly.
She went to school, just like everyone her age. She was all knobby knees, big hands, gangly and lanky - a girl on the edge of becoming a young lady. She was already pretty, but not yet attractive; she was taller than most of the boys and almost all of the girls. She wanted to be liked, but not noticed, for her shyness often wrapped around her like a blanket, comforting, but making her almost invisible.
Life threw some tough curves at her all through High School, her Senior year she developed her own curves. She could Rock an outfit now- especially since her body had caught up to her inner beauty. Her new found popularity and her old wounds combined to lure her with drink, with parties, with exciting (but dead end) brief boyfriends. She tasted a bit of bad boys, but they couldn’t tolerate her kindness, her generosity, and most tried to take advantage of her forgiveness. She weathered those years because her character was as well built, honest, and free- as any Castle, anywhere.
Life could try and storm her keep, chase her to a tower, render her unable to plan, to grow, to blossom, but Life lost. She found the strength to say to herself:
“I can be me! I don’t have to fill someone else’s need to be needed. I don’t have to forgive to be loyal. I can set my life on its own course, and I can sail by my own winds.”
That thought made her stronger. She smiles with a bit of a blush when she giggles at some of the things she did during her brief foray into bad boys, bad liquor and wild nights. She hadn’t found her balance yet, and the knobby kneed girl was still fresh in her mind. But she did get her balance.
At first she didn’t really know what she wanted from Life. Nor did she know what she wanted to Give Life. For in the end, we all only get back what we give. When we forget about lack, we receive plenty. But we must try, work, learn, grow, and yes…fail. She did all those things- and more. She was surprised at her excellent grades, they weren’t good grades, they were great grades. It always gave her a tiny thrill to see that her hard work paid off. She earned those grades, nobody gave them to her. She knew that. Now.
Like a lot of young people, she started finding her path, by choosing not to take the paths others had set for her. Her Mom, her Dad, her Brother, her Sister, her friends, had all chosen different paths, and she cheered them on. She didn’t judge them, or ask them to change, she just wished them well. Sometimes, they did not return the favor. She learned then to set boundaries.
No longer would she try to deal with Life, situations, or events, on someone else’s timetable. She learned to set strong boundaries.
“Not now.” She said to an Aunt. “Later.” She said to her Mom. “I am here if you need me.” She said to her sister. Her brother, she gently stood by his side until he decides - in his own time- to find his way.
“I can be me! I can live my life. I can plan. I can make things work. I can make a difference.” And she did. And she does.
The World dances around her in furious whirling dervish like motion - but she stays calm. She loves. She forgives. She cares. She is kind. She works hard, and wishes well for everyone. She knows now that you want to get the monkey of off your back, but her back, as strong and pretty as it is, remains clear of other people’s monkeys. She has forgiven herself, and is now learning how to be kind to herself too. Feeding a pack of monkeys (not of her making) with the drama they need to survive- well, she gave that up.
Now she is a woman, she can still rock a pair of shorts and a blouse, but her beauty is not an outfit, it is scaffolding of her soul. She beams at people and they beam back. She is safe and trusting, and many folks find that both safe and trustworthy. And so she grows some more:
“I can be me. It is enough. I like me. I like building my life, my way. I can do it. I will.”
Yes, young lady, you can. And you will. Just keep being you.
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