Tag: all you need is love

Father’s Day

I am so lucky enough to have the parents that I do. I did a special post about my mom for Mother’s Day and I am going to do the same for my dad in this post. There are so many things that people (including myself) could say about my dad. He is kind, gentle, strong, patient, hard working, and the list can go on. I have had hardships in my life and I am truly grateful that my parents (especially my dad in this case) have been there for me in every step along the way. I am trying to take Demi’s advice. She says to “Thank your parents for giving you the gift of life and doing their best.” I have always tried to show my appreciation towards my parents for all that they have done.

I scoured the internet for the right quote and I came across this quote that describes what my dad means to me. “A father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow.” I never really thought about it in that way since very recently. I have realized I have many similarities with my mom, but I have also realized that I share many things in common with my dad. We both like sports (especially baseball) and we can talk sports all day long (it would probably drive my mom crazy). Anyways, I just want to take this moment to show appreciation towards my dad and to say thank you for all that he has done. Words cannot describe how much I love you.

There is so much more that I can say about you, but I will let this poem speak for itself. I also want to show my appreciation towards the other fathers and dads across this world. I know that we are not all lucky enough to have a dad to call their own, so I want to take this moment to remind my readers (and others) to show thanks towards people who have been like father figures in their lives, whether it is a mom who plays a dual role of both being a mother and father, or an adoptive dad, or a 2nd or 3rd dad (like I have). I hope you all enjoy your day because you deserve it as much as the moms and mothers across the world as well.

My Father

To my father, a person I am

Lucky enough

To call my own. He is my jokester

With a corny sense of humor.

He is my source

Of wisdom and guidance.

He is my protector.

He is my heart and soul.

He is my kindness

And softness.

He does not have any hard edges,

But he is gentle and intelligent.

I am his daughter, his world and

Someone who will

Always love him.

We share sports and

Other common ground.

Just like my mother,

We share endless

Love and light.

He does not care about

My physical beauty

Because in his eyes,

None of that matters.

He pays no attention to

My flaws or imperfections.

In his eyes, I am perfect just as

I am. He makes me want to

Set high standards for whomever

Is trying to take his place. He is

My source of strength

And resilience. He is my teacher,

For he has taught me about equality

For every skin color, for every race,

For every gender and for every

Social class in this world.

He has taught me about compassion

And that nothing in life comes easy.

We all need to work hard every day.

He sees the negative and the positive

In everything. I am going to always

Be his daughter and baby.

He is going to always be

My dad and father.

Mother’s Day

I am sharing a quote I found just the other day as Mother’s Day is upon us for this year (or at least it will be very soon).  “Of all the gifts that life has to offer, a loving mother is the greatest of them all.” I know that we all (including myself as well) do not always get along with our parents (it is a given when it comes to the relationship we have with them) because we bicker and fight with them from a very young age. We all go through stages (especially when we rebel or do not talk to my parents) with them. I include myself in this because I have been through all of that myself. I have been fortunate enough to be the daughter of parents who are a couple of the nicest and hardest working people I know. I love my dad, but I want to spend this time talking about my mom especially.

My mom… Words cannot describe how lucky I am to have her as a mom (I hope that she gets a chance to read this). She is hard working, kind, strong headed (a good trait, I promise), super supportive, speaks her mind (another good trait), and is so many other things as well. I admire so many women in my life (including my grandma, sister, etc.) and my mom is one of those people on my list. I do not know if she knows this, but she has always been one of my role models and is someone I have always looked up to as a young girl (and I still look up to her as an adult). My mom has always encouraged me to be myself and to always keep pushing through no matter what life throws my way. I have had many challenges in my life (and I still do) and she has been there every step of the way.

She has been there when I have gone through bad things (like not landing a role that I had auditioned for or when I was going through a rough patch). It was hard for me when I went off to college, but my parents were encouraging me to do this. I would call them at least once a week (even though I would call my mom more than that). My mom has always given me advice (regardless if I want to hear it or not is another thing altogether). She would give me advice on everything from boys to school to my poetry writing.

I know that I have talked a lot about my (biological) mom. I am also fortunate enough to have a (second or other) mom. She was the one who I met while I was an undergraduate at McDaniel College (in MD). The joke is that when my parents dropped me off at McDaniel College (my freshman year), they were some of the last ones there and my parents came to meet Susan (and the rest of the office), my parents were reassured that this was the right decision. I have been close with her ever since then. I would stay at her house, I would still see her once a week (even after she left McDaniel). In fact, I think she and my mom would be good friends (if my parents were their neighbors). They could even be sisters (they are so similar and have similar tastes).

I shared this poem with my mom last year (because I wrote it just in time for Mother’s Day last year), but I will be sharing it again this year (with my readers). I hope that you get a chance to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mom this year. Even if you do not have a mom (or if she is not around for whatever reason) turn to someone who is like a mom to you (she does not even have to be biologically related to you) and tell her how much you appreciate her and love her. She is (as what Alicia Keys sings in her song “Superwoman”) indeed a super woman and beyond that as well. Thank you to all the moms in the world (we literally would not be here without you). Just a side note, this poem is written for my mom (directly towards her), but this could be used in any context for any mom out there. Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mother. I will forever love you.

Love For a Mother

Like mother

Like daughter –

Strong, ambitious,

And hard working.

The road has been

Long and wide.

Lots of highs like

Success, love and

Support.

Lots of lows

Like wiping away

Tears and being

Missed.

The road takes me

Back right into

Your arms and heart,

Where there is

Never-ending love

And light. No matter

Where life goes,

You are right

Beside me, walking

Or running with me.

Even if we are far

Apart you have that

Special place in

My heart and mind

Where you belong.

You are my cheerleader,

You are my rock,

You are my anchor,

You are my everything,

And most of all

You are my mother.

Valentine’s Day and Spreading Love

It’s February 14th, which means it’s Valentine’s Day! I want to wish everybody (whether you are in a relationship or single) a happy Valentine’s Day. I do not want to get all sappy (and some of you many not want to hear it) so I won’t. There’s this stigma around Valentine’s Day, saying that it is a holiday for couples only. What about all the single people? You shouldn’t feel bad for being single (it isn’t anybody’s fault). Forget about going out to a fancy dinner or getting chocolate or getting flowers. Forget about wallowing around and watching reruns on TV. It’s not so much about going all out or doing too little.

Spending Valentine’s Day alone isn’t the end of the world. Valentine’s Day is about spreading love, happiness, and laughter. Spend time with your friends or do something fun or give back in some way. You deserve it. To spread some cheer (especially for those around this holiday who are down in the dumps) here is a poem 0r two to cheer you up. This is about that special someone who is either a friend, a family member or something more than that. Whoever that person is, it does not matter. That “special” person could even be yourself. Whatever you are doing on this holiday (or whoever you are spending this holiday with) just remember that you are never alone (no matter how alone you feel sometimes). Lots of love to you all. Treasure those special moments. Everybody is special and beautiful (you don’t need other people to remind you of that), but here’s a reminder for you just in case.

Our Hands

With our hands linked together

Our touches became light as a feather,

Although your hands are callused from

The harsh winter. I don’t feel so numb

Anymore. It’s a sign of comfort

And I start to wonder

If this is what peace feels like?

Although I can see that we’re alike,

I ponder if we’re just lucky.

This moment feels lovely.

It’s no longer about claiming

Territory or about taking

Anything. It’s about our connection

And spark. It’s something special.

I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I want to keep it all furled.

Nobody can touch this, even in silence.

To you I’m a diamond

Because I am so beautiful

And this is one thing we can control.

Friends or whatever

We are, we can endeavor

Anything as long as we are

Intertwined and follow the North Star.

There we will find our harmony.

There lies our dreams and destiny.

Being Your Own Best Friend

I am lucky enough to have really amazing 2 best friends and other friends I’m really close to. They mean the world to me. However, one thing I have learned, especially going through school and bad times myself, is that no matter how many BFFs and good friends you have, it’s always important to be your own best friend. That is one thing Demi talks about and I think it’s very important to emphasize here. I made the decision to move across the country for college (still one of the best choices I’ve made). That meant leaving my BFF (we’ve been best friends since elementary school) and my other close friends I’ve made throughout my life at that point behind. It meant I had to make new friends and meant I had to start over again (of making friends). In between all of that I had to learn to be my own best friend because there I was, on my own and a little nervous.

The friends I made at McDaniel were (and are still) amazing!! All my friends up through college have been there for me. I think being your own best friend goes hand in hand with taking care of yourself, which means to stop chasing people and things that are no longer good for you. So I’m sorry for cutting some people out (that is a gift for myself). Taking care of yourself means taking care of your physical and mental health.

I have to admit that I’ve had many rough patches and have days where I felt like I couldn’t do anything. In those moments I am grateful for my friends and family but I am also grateful for myself. Additionally, I am thankful for pushing myself through those days and rough patches. More importantly it’s always about loving yourself no matter what, even on those days where you feel insecure and bad about yourself. This poem goes to all those people who ever feel they need self confidence and serves as a reminder to treat yourself as good as Demi says we should. This poem is self-explanatory, but think of it as a love letter to yourself (from a woman’s perspective).

Loving Yourself

Take a look into the mirror,

Really take a hard look.

Do you see her?

She’s an important person.

She’s you and she’s me.

For a moment,

Forget about being there

For other people.

You need to be there

For yourself.

People, they come

And go. They leave

And some of them

Never come back.

But there will be

One person with you

Every day and that’s

Yourself. You can be

The only one to pick

Yourself up when

You’re surrounded

By darkness.

She’ll see your

Worth and

Determination

Even when nobody

Else sees it.

She’ll be there

When you’re feeling

Ugly and alone.

She reminds you

To be good to yourself.

She gets you over

The pain and heartbreak.

She’s the one

To give you a pep talk.

She gets you over

The bumps in the road.

She’ll be there to

Remind you to breathe.

She helps you find yourself.

She’ll tell you to

Let it all go.

She’ll be the shoulder

To cry on. She’ll be the

One to crack a smile

Or a joke.

Don’t let her leave

You behind

And most importantly

Take care of her because

You need each other.

She’s much more

Than a part of you.

Don’t forget that.

She’s the mind,

The heart, soul

And the true essence

Of everything.

She’s fearless.

She’s unapologetic.

She’s tough. She’s

A fighter. She’s kind.

She’s gentle.

Give her love. She’s

The one who deserves it

Just as much as

Everybody else does.

Loving her and

Letting her live are

The best things

To do for her

And for yourself.

There, she’ll survive

And thrive.

She’ll bloom and

You’ll never

Regret anything.

She’s your best friend.

She’ll help you more

Than anything or

Anybody else.

P.S. It goes hand in hand with my theme of messy ties. As much as it’s important to have connections with other people, it is also important to have a (good) connection with ourselves. Like I said before (in a previous post) “love is all you need.”

“All You Need Is Love”

There’s a song title by the same name (by The Beatles) and Demi talks about it for today’s entry. Love isn’t always easy to come by and saying “I love you” to someone isn’t always easy to say. The closest thing I have to love is loving all those close to me. It starts with my parents (for whom I am forever grateful for) to my close family and friends. The list goes on and on. Demi says to show people and tell people that you love them. She goes on to say to bake them something or shout it from the roof tops or write them a letter. This is probably the closest thing to any of those things. The people who I love mean the world to me. They love me right back and always encourage me to keep going every day no matter what. In other words, I guess saying “I love you” is like saying thank you. I could never love anybody better than those people. The list goes on to my 2 BFFs (Marcia and BreAnna), my grandma, all my aunts and uncles, my cousins, my close friends (especially Katalin and Nancy), my other friends, and my extended family (those of you who aren’t blood related). I appreciate each and every one of you. I love you all so much! For today’s entry I don’t have a poem (sorry), but this for everybody!! This is my way of using my talents to show my love for you all.