Monday [The Life Givers..]

Would you believe me if I told you this was a true story? 

That someday, somewhere it really happened. 

Tears were shed and hearts were broken and yet, in amongst it all there was a tiny sliver of joy.

 Hope broke through and started to grow. 

Roots were let out and the rain fell and watered the ground. 

In the morning as the sun came out and warmed the soaking earth and there was life. 

Tiny, tentative, fragile life. 

But life nevertheless.

You don't believe me? 

Would you believe me if I told you that this is the story of how you came to be? 

That you grew from hope, a tiny sliver of joy, and love strong enough to move mountains,  

to change worlds, 

strong enough even, to create life. 

Sometimes that love fades. Often you wonder how it came to be in the first place.

There are always arguments.

 Smashing of glasses at early hours of the mornings, tears shed, voices raised, 

glances born of a hatred you'd never thought you'd live to experience. 

But this too will pass. 

Time, they say, heals all wounds.

Or does it?

Do you remember the first time your parents argued? 

The first night you realised that Daddy wasn't coming home? 

Do you remember the time he threw her down the stairs, or raised his hand to hit you, 

your terrified face reflected in the blacks of his eyes? 

Do you remember all that, or has it receded into your subconscious? 

Do you always end up with the wrong guy? 

The one who swears and smokes and is generally bad news all round. 

The one who doesn't give you the time of day, or flirts with other girls when you're around.

Do you know why?

There are some things that stay with us for years. 

No amount of forgetting or forgiving or running away from can change that. 

Blood is thicker than water. It is true. 

Our words, our thoughts, our actions, our hopes and dreams and our futures are all influenced by those who gave life to us. 

Gave love to us. 

Taught us that it is a fragile and beautiful precious thing.

 Taught us that it is huge and violent and scary. 

Taught us that love never dies, or that it is something you need to spend your life earning.

The thing you need to understand is that they, too, were once somebodies children. 

That they too, were taught to love in the only way their parents knew. 

That they, too had been neglected, abused, hurt or ignored. 

That they, too, carry the fingerprints of others on their hearts.

The question is not, how are you going to get the love you should have. 

It should be, what are you going to do with the love you've got?

inside of my skin, inside of my hope, i've waited for you, don't you know..