Learn with each passing moment

“After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security.
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises…
After a while you learn…
That even sunshine burns if you get too much.
So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul,
Instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure…
That you really are strong
And you really do have worth…
And you learn and learn…
With every good-bye you learn.”
— Veronica A. Shoffstall

Because she was Different

It had only been a week since the passing of the bill, and most unluckily, she was the only female who had passed the entrance exam for the month. So there she was, the only female in the crawling Colombian army. She was not a bombshell to speak of. Everyone was aware of it, and yet we loved her, not because she was the only woman within twelve miles of the border, but because she was not a bombshell to speak of but an explosion that occurred every minute she happened to exist. She was a strong woman with the fire that made us want to protect her, not by winning wars, but by preventing them altogether.

– Saransh Gupta (Words of Wonder) (Diary of A Patriot’s Wife)