Footsteps

To a little girl:

Not so long ago, little girl,

You ran through the mountains,

Not a care in the world,

Just the steady pound of each footfall,

Stride

     Stride

Stride

Steady and strong,

The world was no match for your two feet.

But then, you stumbled.

And fell.

The rocks scraped your knees,

The solid road shattered your spirit,

With unsteady feet you tried to walk,

Stagger

     Stumble

Fall

 Weak and broken,

The world left you broken on the ground.

Your feet,

Once so strong,

Could not stand

Your legs,            

Once so fast,

Could hardly limp

Your mind,

Once indomitable,

Fell prisoner to fear

Your heart,

Once joyful and free,

Sunk in sorrowful pieces

The thoughts come flooding in:

Never enough…always too

weak…always too small… never

enough… might as well

 give up….so alone…why go on…so…

alone… never… never

enough…can’t go on… just give up… just

give in… let it end… can’t go on….no more

 pain…. never enough…just give up….drowning….

sinking…. so….afraid…alone….falling….. in all

 the thoughts…. give up…. Give

 in…alone.... never enough…just

give up…. Just…

Stop.

Breathe.

In.

Breathe.

Out.

Let the thoughts

          Fade

Like clouds after a storm              

Pick yourself

          Back up

Not for tomorrow,

Not for the yesterdays lost,

Not out of fear,

Not out of duty,

But just,

             For today

Just,

             For you.

Because there are dark days,

But that doesn’t mean the stars burned out.

There are days when the rains don’t end,

But that doesn’t mean tears must fall too.

There are days when all the thoughts flood in and tear you down,

But remember, they don’t control you.

Not so long ago, little girl,

You ran through the mountains.

Not so long ago, little girl,

You could feel the strength

In

    Each

        Footstep

That strong has not died.

Because the fear cannot consume the strong,

Rather, the strong feeds on the fear

Growing deep roots,

Reaching arms up tall,

To help you stand,

To help you walk,

To help you run,

To help you live.

      For today.

             For you.

                     Steady and strong.

                            Fearless and free.