Worn Heart

There are a thousand ways I say “I want you.”This is one of them.

🐾 𝑻𝒘𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆:I don’t ask for reassurance often—but when it comes, it hits like a drug.Scratch me behind the ears—I’ll follow you around for hours. I’ve learned to be steady—after years of stumbling.I don’t need managing—but I do need respect.I carry what’s mine—some loads just took longer…

I put the lid back on the peanut butter without thinking about it.Didn’t sigh. Didn’t narrate it to myself.Didn’t analyze it.Did the thing and moved on.Cleaned the spoon and got on with the day. Just noticed afterwards—Huh. I’m probably okay today.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘰.But, perfection isn’t the absence of missing things.It’s the presence of what is, that matters.𝑨𝒗𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅.

Living by the ocean, this is the sign I look for every year that winter has finally broke. The coast is waking up today! The first ribbon of water opening as the ice breaks and separates, and the first of the fleet being moved into place. The lobsters are coming out of hibernation, and the…

𝗛𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗺.𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨.𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴,𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦. He doesn’t push her to talk.Doesn’t try to cheer her up.Doesn’t mistake action for love. He just stays close.Steady.Quiet.There. Because sometimes the most loving thing a man can dois hold the umbrella—and let her feel safe, even in the…