by John Roedel

Dear kids,

Before you take another

a step into the wilderness

out there

I have nine things

on my heart

these days

that I need say

to you

#1

the people

who come to

steal your wonder

are the same

folks who let others

freely take theirs

long ago

never let go

of the ability

to let this world

surprise you

remember that everything

under the sun is new

hold on to

your wonderment

cling to

your sweetness

and become a

living witness to

the million

beautiful curisoties

in your life

don’t let anything

become mundane

I’m serious

pay close attention

to the adventure

before you

all of your experiences

are soaked in magic

the good and the bad

the happy and the sad

the hilarious and the mad

some people will

want you to treat your

pulse like it’s boring

it’s anything but

your life is bathed

in stardust

I know that doesn’t

make much sense now

but I’ll explain that a bit

more later in #9

#2

every time you

see a mother

holding her baby

I want you to

fall down the

rabbit hole of

of creation’s divine

mystery

babies are the

key to understanding

our entire experience here

don’t let a baby pass by

you without becoming bewildered by

the perfect oddity of life

they are the swaddled cipher

to the riddle of where we came from

don’t let a baby escape

your gaze without gasping

#3

during the times

when your stomach

hurts from laughing

so much with your soul friend

don’t let the moment slip past

you without first acknowledging

the unappreciated marvel

of your deepest relationship

the soul friends that you meet

here on Earth are the same ones

that you knew before you came

into being

you knew each other before birth

and promised to find one another

down here in the blood and mud

good work you two!

#4

when your heart

gets broken

– and it will –

I am begging you

to count each tear

that rolls down your

face as the blessing

that it is

you are crying

because you haven’t

let your heart go numb

you are crying

because you let

yourself be vulnerable

and that is such an act

of bravery ~ I’m so proud of you!

you are crying

because you are

still fighting to stay alive

you are crying

because you have

accepted your humanity

every tear

is proof of how

incredibily strong

you are

be proud of your shedding tears!

each tear is a unique

song

telling your story

of survival

drop by lyrical drop

#5

on the occasion

when you find

yourself watching

a sunset please

spend a fat second

breathing in the last

seconds of the dying light

take a moment to

learn the great lesson of twilight

despite the long night

the light always returns

darkness always loses

the game is rigged

a fresh start is always just one

single firecracker daybreak away

#6

someday you will be

kissed tenderly

by a person who recognizes

the treasure in you

don’t you dare treat

it like anything other

than the strange marvel that it is

and yes,

a true kiss can transform your life

and yes,

a true kiss can cut you in two

and yes,

a true kiss can live in your memory forever

there are few things more

terrifying than a goosebump

real kiss

it’s an elemental festival

of goosebumps on your arm

and lightning on your lips

but beware,

if you let any your kisses

become ordinary then

everything else in your life

will quickly follow

#7

every breath you take

is proof that your

existence is a singular event

there will never be anybody

else like you again

everything you do

makes history

every time you exhale

a fresh ripple of your story

is sent through the galaxy

listen,

there is only

one you

there will only be

in you

you are

a divine curiosity

every second that washes

over you is something

brand new that this universe

has never seen before

be fearless

your life is the miracle

someone has been waiting for

#8

someday you and I will hold

hands for the last time

but if you let that

moment take root

inside of you

our hands will remain laced

for a thousand lifetimes

let our fleeting time

together grow into a

towering redwood tree

time is relentless

but it is no match for

love

honor every second

of the clock

treat every little

bit of your experience

like the wild phenomenon

that it is

be a vigilant witness

to the magic of

everything

#9

don’t become forgetful

of your dignity

or that on the day

you were born

you were covered in

the stardust of

first-day creation

you were forged

out of the most brillant

of celestial fires

never take for

granted all of

that radiates in

you

you were born

to blaze

~john roedel (johnroedel.com)