Comes The Dawn - A poem by Joy Whitman

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I first read this poem when my English teacher handed it to me at the end of a class.  He took me aside and told me: " I want to have a student read this poem to the class next week, and I think you are the only one who can read poetry correctly, but it's very powerful and I wanted to give you time to read it first, so that you can get used to it first".

I took the page from him and stuffed it in my binder.  Later that evening I broke it out and started to read.

Comes the Dawn by Joy Whitman

After awhile you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and sharing a life
You learn that love doesn't mean possession, company doesn't mean security 

And loneliness is universal

You learn that kisses aren't contracts and presents aren't promises
And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open 

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

You learn to build your hopes on today
As the future has a way of falling apart mid-flight
And tomorrow's ground can be too uncertain for plans
Yet each step taken in a new direction creates a path toward the promise of a brighter dawn.

You learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and nourish your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

You learn that love, true love always has joys and sorrows
Seems ever present, yet is never quite the same
Becoming more than love and less than love
So difficult to define

And you learn that through it all that you really can endure
That you really are strong, that you do have value
And you learn and grow, with every goodbye
You learn

I can't tell you how much I appreciated being given the chance to read it privately first.  I was 16 years old, and going through a very difficult break-up with my first... well you know.  Warm tears streamed down my face as the full truth of this poem hit home. (I know, there's a theme developing one me balling... what can I say, I'm a real cry baby)

It does me good to revisit it now and then; it's food for the soul, and sometimes I forget the lessons it teaches.  

Much Love, 

Felicia

Suicide: Old Friend or Foe?

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I spent most of my twenties wondering why I was here, what it meant, and what my purpose was in life.  I didn't fear my own death as I would be gone and it wouldn't matter to me.  I feared the deaths of my loved ones instead, as the thought of having to go on without them would tear me to shreds.

Then I became a mother to two beautiful, amazing boys, and I stopped asking myself those questions.  I am here to be their mother and my purpose is to raise them to become good men. 

I started thinking about committing suicide when I had my first major depressive episode at the age of 17.

I was disgusted with the world I saw around me, and I didn't want to be a part of it.  I put my parents through Hell, telling them often that I wanted to die.  My poor mother didn't know what to do with herself, and my father, well, I saw him cry for the first time in my life. (and maybe even the last)

There was a point where I finally became conscious of what I was doing to them, and vowed to myself to never burden them with my pain again.  I stopped talking about suicide, and I stopped thinking I'd do it.  Instead, I spent the next couple of years praying to God that he come get me.  Weeping alone in the dark, begging Him to let me come home, as I just couldn't believe that I was actually suppose to be part of this world.

Free Website Review : Is Your Page Optimized to Attract and Retain Visitors?

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If you are new to the blogging world like I am, setting up your website can be rather tricky.  What may look good to you may not look good to others.  

More importantly, if your site is poorly designed, first time visitors might just "bounce" off your site in a second, never getting to read all of the wonderful content you've poured your heart and soul into.

A new blog I found through Twitter called "Review my Website" reviews your site for free, offering tips on improving your website.

Here is the review he did of my blog, along with a screenshot of how it looked at the time of the review:

Kobi Levi Shoes: When Fashion Meets Art

Pin It Israeli Kobi Levi's shoe designs stretch our imaginations with shoes for women that are in fact shoe art.

His designs are shoe sculptures, and they are out of this world, offbeat, funny and wonderfully imaginative.

In an interview with CNN, Levi tells us that each shoe design can take about a month, and that he is very serious about his art, preferring quality over quantity, no doubt the secret of his success.

His unique shoe designs, like the "Coffee time" shoe, have certainly made a "splash" in the fashion world. (hahaha)

Lady Gaga has been said to have purchased pieces from Kobi Levi's collection, which doesn't really surprise me, since she's the first one I thought of when I saw them!

I've always had a bit of a shoe fetish, but this is definitely taking it to the next level!

The aforementioned "Coffee Time" shoes, I love the spill...

These are awesome, I'd wear them!

Banana Peels! Too Funny! 

Puppy Love... So cute