10 things.

I know a lot of things to be true, for instance I know that seven years olds love to step on ants and ladybugs. I know that rainstorms are incredible and awe inspiring and scary. I know that in the spring, flowers bloom, and in the summer, the pool feels nice. Most of all, I know that I am a sinner in need of a savior, a savior who has already forgiven me. And because of that I know that I have nothing to be afraid of.

Here are ten important things I know to be true…
1- That I breathe in and I breathe out and sometimes my breath is taken away by exciting, crazy things but it is always returned to me. Faster.
2- That my feet refuse to stop dancing, even when I’m sitting still they tap and twist and point, dancing to the tune in my head. Hush.

3- That love will always exsist, even if we don’t feel it (or think we don’t) Even in the dark, cold spaces of this world. Even through all of time someone, somewhere, is loving. Yes.
4- That the devil can’t take away my purpose, he can dangwell try but he will never succeed because my joy is found in God. Trust.
5- That gluten make me feel crappy, I can’t stop eating it. I try. Stupid.
6- That the sun will rise and the sun will set. That the waves go out and the waves come in. But HIS love is unwavering. Believe.
7- That I will fall in love, every day. Always someone new, maybe you. My heart needs to let me be. Okay.
8- That books will always be my constant companion. No Joke. Perfect.
9- That if you just sat still and listened. The world would become so much more than what you know now. Try.
10- and finally? I know that no matter what happens in this life, good or bad, there is so much more to your story. You’re just a baby right now, figuring things out. So don’t worry, because you are special and no one else can be as wonderful as you are. Be.

An Epilogue.

So, you've come the end of her story. I know it ended abruptly. What happened next?
Well, as you've already found out she lived a very interesting life. Being a middle child she escaped the scrutiny that the oldest children received and the spoiling that the youngest children were subjected to. She had more then a few scrapes. Knocked out a few teeth, rode her bike a little too fast.


I wonder if you caught it...did you notice that when she was deathly afraid of something she forced herself to do it? That is why, if you were to go swimming with her out in the ocean she went a little bit further than everyone else and a little bit deeper. It scared her. It thrilled her.

But I assume that if you're reading this than you've already read the rest of the book. Her book.

Now its my turn to tell you about her.

I loved the way she always had time for the little children. She loved them whole heatedly and adored to make them laugh.
I loved the way you could pick her out in a crowd because of the outrageous color combinations or styles she was wearing.
I would always get lost in her huge eyes that she could make bigger when she was excited about something.
I loved how she would be willing to argue about anything, no matter how pointless, just because she could.
I loved how she danced, everywhere, anytime, to any music. That was her specialty, dancing. It made her happy.
She was definitely an extrovert, in a category all her own. Taking talking and laughing and socializing to new extremes. People made her happy.
She drank tea and ate chocolate and read in coffee shops.
She sewed and cooked and wrote.
She was different, ditsy and silly. Emotional and melancholy. Exciting and knowledgeable on random subjects.
She loved to take pictures, she said capturing pictures was capturing time. So we will never forget our favorite people, our favorite places, our favorite moments.

And She Loved.
She loved her girlfriends, calling them something new every time, trying to express through the "sugar, sweetie, dear heart..." how much she respected them and loved them.
She loved her God, relishing Psalm 139. She called it his love poem to the world.

She even loved me, I know this because she left.
Our time together wasn't about the adventure for her, and she left because she knew that the longer we stayed together the harder it would become to say goodbye, and goodbye was inevitable. 

After her nineteenth year things went a little bit fuzzy. No one is entirely certain what happened to her. Maybe she did travel the world with her girlfriends like she wanted to. Maybe she did become a professional photographer. I hope she got married and had dozens of children and lived happily ever after. Maybe.

All I know is that I love her, I miss her and I will always call her mine, she was the Girl Who Danced.
My HannahJane.

-The Doctor.

Hands

He was not old, but his hands had done so much. They had carried much and given much. They were worn and strong.

“Give me your hand.” She said.

She held it to keep it warm,

She lightly touched the scars, swollen and red.

She was holding a hand that had weathered many a storm.

In it she saw the pain, the sadness.

She saw grief to break a mother’s heart.
Wars that would fell the best of warriors,

Death, she saw so much death.

“Why did you choose this?

Why this path, when there were others?
Why… death?” a silent tear rolled down her wind burned cheek.

“Child” said He “I chose not for me. 

I chose for you. I would not, could not, allow death to steal you from me.”

His hands closed around hers, warming the parched fingers.

“A price had to be paid,

Justice to be carried out;
In order that you need not be afraid,

That’s what love is all about.”

She traced the scar on his wrist, “Did you feel the pain?”

“Yes child.”

“Did you cry?”

“Yes.” He wiped the tears that streamed down her face.

“I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to repay.” She trembled under his touch.

“My love, give me your eyes, so that you might see the truth.

Give me your mouth, so that you might speak faith.

Give me your heart, so that you might know love.  

Give me your hands, so that you might nourish the broken.

Give me your feet, so that you might change the world.
That is all I ask, for you to be thankful is enough.”

She held both hands now, she held both and understood.
She saw now the joy and kindness.
The love that overflowed, the peace,
She saw now the good.

His hands had gone from carpentry to a cross.

In the time in between they had changed the world.

They had healed the blind and sick, they had calmed the chaos.
They had delivered justice and admonished the wicked, 

They were the hands of a servant, a workman, a friend, a warrior, a father, a prince...
The hands that had done so much were now holding hers.

She stood in awe, “I believe and give thanks; death has been swallowed up in victory.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

They turned, and with a purpose, walked hand in hand towards home.