Dear Arizona

I am not supposed to know you, but I do.

I am dying to reach out to you because I have never felt such a deep emotional, spiritual, intellectual and biological sameness with any other soul in this universe. I feel kindred to you in a way that would defy astronomical odds. I feel synced to your essence in ways that are inexplicable through the human tongue or immortal vernacular. I have loved what you have loved, lost what you have lost, dreamed of what you have dreamt, lived through what you have lived, and died in places and spaces where you have died -- in a similar, but different way.

I do not desire you, nor do I desire anything from you as I am you, in more ways than I am able to say. I do carry a deep affection for you as a stranger in one way, and as a profoundly connected acquaintance in another.

I will admit to an honest, unfathomable, unconventional and inexplicable gratitude, care and love that has been cultivated for you within me through certain circumstances and a chain of events that are far too elaborate and vulnerable for me to expose you to, even though you have been a pivotal part of it.

These are the things that you have taught me without knowing:

Smile -- truly smile, despite all of the reasons that you are not allowed to. Smile with your whole being to the ones that deserve it and allow them in through the windows of your soul.

Love -- do it deeply, despite everything that could go wrong. Love is the most powerful force on this earth; just as it has the power to wipe out empires and leave trails of corpses stretching for miles upon miles in its wake, it has the power to rebuild legendary empires and rebirth lives that were thought to be long lost. Love yourself furiously...love yourself enough to have another love you with the fervent love that you so freely deal out -- none of these things can truly exist without the others.

Believe -- believe in the goodness in humanity despite all of the contrary that you have experienced. When you stop believing, there is no purpose in perpetuating the vicious, wild, beautiful, heart wrenching, phenomenal, worthwhile cycle that is life. You have a purpose and you have earned it -- so believe in yourself because that is all the currency that you will need to obtain the rest.

Hope -- never let go of it, despite all of the forces coming at you from different directions with the intent of taking it away. Life can like a never-ending night where you are lost in a forest with no sense of direction -- it is cruel, and evil, and painful, and horrid...and you will fall into pits and stumble over the trunks of many, many trees and hit your head on a couple of branches as you try to navigate your way to a clearing. If you have hope, you have light; and you can walk by the illumination of the silvery full moon until you find your grassy clearing of comfort and rest, where you will sit and watch the sun rise over the horizon once again.

Give -- give all that you have, and then give some more. Remember to give some to yourself.

Forgive -- forgive everyone who deserves it, and those who do not. Of all the gifts in the world, this is the most selfishly selfless form of altruistic charity. You do not have the capacity to carry around eternal resentment, nor do you truthfully bear a right to it. "We are all on our own journey" and we all have our own flaws, none collectively greater or lesser than that of another. Cherish the good done unto you, and forgivingly discard the bad -- but take your lessons humbly from all of the above and put them to good use in the everlasting improvement of yourself, the onus of this is entirely on you and the process only ever ends when you exhale your last breath.

Thank you.

Thank you for allowing me to do the bravest thing that I have ever done, even though neither you, nor anyone else may ever understand what it was. Thank you for being who you are and selflessly, effortlessly, and at times, unknowingly allowing others to draw from what you are in such a remarkable way. You are an extraordinary woman and you have touched on so many lives, including my own.

If I may offer any advice to you in return for all of the inspiration and unintentional enlightenment that you have offered me, I would tell you to read this again and believe that it is true -- then, without shrugging off my most genuine of compliments, as you tend to do, accept it with the same grace and elegance that you are the epitome of and go forth to conquer everything that you have ever set out to conquer.


With love (that you may never come to understand),
Your sincerest friend (in another life, perhaps).

Dear Arizona when can we our body shots? Wommmmman you are a JEWEL!!

On 2017-04-18 22:06:01 Shakira said:
Dear Arizona when can we our body shots? Wommmmman you are a JEWEL!!

She's a gem indeed.