Love Yourself Hard

My darling friend (codename Salarcon) is consistently more joyful than many of us put together. She has her struggles, as do all of us, but she has an incredible peace in the midst of those struggles, as do few of us.

She is also a Poetry Slam Goddess and host of a new YouTube poetry program, and her recent poem (below) is about joy — whatever the circumstances.

Life is short, my friends. Whether you are concerned about your orientation or you child’s, or falsely afraid that God does not love you or approve of you, or afraid you somehow do not deserve to be at the table with everyone else, please. You don’t have to do that to yourself.

It’s time to love yourself… hard.

Enjoy Salarcon’s poem… <3

 “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day

Whether it’s cold outside I’ve got the month of…”

May 3^rd

Amanda dances around her living room

She finished her senior thesis

May 10th

Amanda receives her diploma,

and snaps a selfie with our President

May 15^th

I post about my Marathon on facebook

“You’re my hero” Amanda says

“You’re Mine,” I say back

May 17th

Three twenty-somethings travel east

Amanda sleeps

In the back seat

Car meets median,

Air,

Ground

Three weeks in a coma

Amanda never woke back up

This, Is what she taught me.

 Run hard.

 Run like your legs will never get tired.

Run like your heart will never stop beating.

Run until you can feel your heart in your hands.

 Show all of your teeth when you smile

Let a stranger catch your smile on their lips.

Love with your entire body.

 Love Hard.

Kiss the one you love on the mouth.

Kiss ‘em so hard you knock their teeth out.

 Love does not exist in side hugs

She only knows bodies becoming one

Don’t be ashamed of crying

 Tears are the love that is inside you

Don’t apologize for them

 Tears mean letting go.

 Let Go.

Call your sister.

Tell her you love her and you’re sorry.

Just do it.

Today could be your last day here.

Don’t leave your life in ellipses…

 Instead, leave behind a giant

Exclamation point!

Embrace Imperfecshun.

Make mistakes bigger than Texas.

Laugh when you put cereal in the fridge

And milk in the pantry.

When you laugh,

Don’t be self-conscious.

Double chin that shit.

Don’t pick yourself apart in your mirror.

Instead, try to see what God sees

 You have a beautiful soul.

If you can’t see your soul through that thick layer of self-doubt

Then take it off.

When you look in the mirror,

All you should see is yourself.

Love yourself hard.

Recognize what matters and what doesn’t.

This is the difference between loving your life

And loathing it.

Now is always a good time to start doing

What you want to do.

Tomorrow is a dream.

Yesterday is not today

Two years from now is an excuse.

Amanda, your light still shines

So Hear me when she says,

 “The only time that is real is RIGHT NOW.”