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Taking Time To Look Back And Look Around

Beauty around me, reassuring my teen self, and a favorite song

By Denise E LindquistPublished about a year ago 3 min read
Taking Time To Look Back And Look Around
Photo by Ava Sol on Unsplash

Self-love is the road toward healing. These prompts are an invitation to step inside yourself. Rupi Kaur

Stepping inside yourself

to know that loving self

isn't easy to do for this elf

Your soul knows - that helps

let’s not put those elves on the shelves

let’s shower more time on ourselves

By Misty Ladd on Unsplash

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — One small, yet beautiful object around me is __________________.

Smiles

will take me miles

in the photos

take away my woes

on my desktop

on my printer top

next to my computer

I’m not sure who is cuter

My mom with a bonnet

on my file cabinet

or the nun on the shelf

or the grands on my bookshelf

family and friend pictures

or loved ones no longer here

then hubby pops around the door

his smile I adore!

~~

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — If you were to meet your teenage self today, what would you want to reassure them about?

Growing up can be hard, and you will do it just fine. Some days are rougher than others. Find something called happy pms and use it as it will help. As teenagers, we think we know everything. We don’t. Give others some of your time.

Listen to your elders, to the culture stories they tell. You will want to know them to pass them on to others someday. Now, tell me all that is going on with you. I will listen. Know you are loved.

YouTube by Conway Twitty and Sam Moore — Rainy night in Georgia

Rupi Kaur’s Self-Love Writing Prompts — What is your favorite song and why? When was the last time you listened to it?

My dad died on my 10th birthday and as I was depressed at 11 or 12, I heard this song and related to it. Over the years when I would hear it, that would bring me back to those memories. We lived in the cities and moved up north when I was 11.

As a teenager, I would spend time with cousins in the cities. That would always bring this song back to me. The last time I heard it was a couple of years ago when I had sunk into some depression after my youngest brother died.

Over the years I have heard this song sung by different performing artists.

Some day when asked about a favorite song this may not be the one that comes to me and then again maybe it will.

Rainy Night In Georgia, Song by Brook Benton

Hoverin’ by my suitcase

Tryin’ to find a warm place

To spend the night

Heavy rain fallin’

Seems I hear your voice callin’

It’s all right

A rainy night in Georgia

A rainy night in Georgia

Lord, I believe it’s rainin’ all over the world

I feel like it’s rainin’ all over the world

Neon signs a-flashin’

Taxicabs and buses

Passin’ through the night

A distant moanin’ of a train

Seems to play a sad refrain to the night

A rainy night in Georgia

Such a rainy night in Georgia

Lord I believe it’s rainin’ all over the world

I feel like it’s rainin’ all over the world

How many times I wondered

It still comes out the same

No matter how you look at it or think of it

Well it’s life, and you just got to play the game

I find me a place in a boxcar

So I take my guitar

To pass some time

Late at night when it’s hard to rest

I hold your picture to my chest

And I feel fine, I

But it’s a rainy night in Georgia

Baby, it’s a rainy night in Georgia

I feel it’s rainin’ all over the world

Kinda lonely there and it’s rainin’ all over the world

Oh have you ever been lonely people

And you feel that it was raining all over this man’s world

You talkin’ ‘bout rainin’,rainnin’, rainin’, rainin’, rainin’

A-rainin’, a-rainin’, rainin’ over the world

I said now rainin’,rainnin’, rainin’, rainin’, rainin’

Songwriters: Tony White. For non-commercial use only. Data From: Musixmatch

~~~~

First published by Mercury Press on medium.com

LifePromptsWriting Exercise

About the Creator

Denise E Lindquist

I am married with 7 children, 28 grands, and 13 great-grandchildren. I am a culture consultant part-time. I write A Poem a Day in February for 8 years now. I wrote 4 - 50,000 word stories in NaNoWriMo. I write on Vocal/Medium daily.

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Comments (5)

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  • Dharrsheena Raja Segarranabout a year ago

    I especially loved the advice you gave your teenage self!

  • Mark Grahamabout a year ago

    Just keep sharing your feelings the way you do. Good work.

  • Tiffany Gordonabout a year ago

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️

  • Testabout a year ago

    I wish you to overcome every difficulty in your life easily. And know that the sun shines on the island of Aphrodite in Cyprus. I hope you feel the warmth of its rays.

  • Snarky Lisaabout a year ago

    Beautiful writing! I kind of find Elf On The Shelf creepy, though.

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