L.A.M.B.S.

Even though I love this crazy life Sometimes I wish it was a smoother ride Dear younger me, dear younger me If I knew then what I know now Condemnation would’ve had no power My joy my pain would’ve never been my worth We’ve all thought, “If I knew then what I know now, I would have . . . “ fill in the blank with a better choice, the straighter path, a more thoughtful decision, what you think is the right thing to do. I’ll be honest, I don’t know what I would have done if I knew then what I know now. I was a little girl who’d been violated. I’d lost my innocence, my hope, my childhood.  And for two decades, I made choices from a place of deep, searing pain. I did whatever I had to do to protect myself. I made a choice to survive, to hide, to fade away into the darkness. And the people who should have pulled me out let me sink deeper into a private hell. No one offered a helping hand, a kind word, a hug, a kiss, a word of encouragement. They didn’t even notice that I&#

Dear younger me I cannot decide Do I give some speech about how to get the most out of your life Or do I go deep And try to change The choices that you’ll make cuz they’re choices that made me No one likes to be told that they’ve done something wrong – or is it just me? I’ll listen to you talk all day if you’re going to share something that may change my life, but if your speech turns into a lecture – no thank you. The bottom line is that the power of life and death live in your tongue. And honestly, people don’t need another speech about what they should have done or what you would have done differently if you were in their shoes. But do you want to know what is powerful? Your story. Your vulnerability. Your testimony. Your shortcomings. Your lessons learned. And your willingness to share – all of it. The good things in life are – well, good. But it’s the challenges in life that build character, strength, and resilience. I’ve never heard anyone tell a story where ev