You Have a Tenderness Within You

     

     Like you, I often find myself wandering the open seas of the internet--you know, just because.

     But in my wandering, or as I liked to call it, my unintentional searching, I always seem to stumble upon some underplayed, yet life changing gold of sorts.

     It's that moment when you think to yourself: how did I previously live without ever reading, seeing, or hearing this very gem of culture and life?!

     And so it happened one fateful day, in my mindless internet behavior I came across images taken by the photographer, Rog Walker and I was moved.

     Subsequently, I've been holding his images like a feather--or rather like a single lone, loose diamond in my clammy right hand.

     I wasn't ready to share, not just yet.

     But then words came to my spirit earlier this week. Words meant only for you. And the only images that I wanted to marry to these words, were the images and photography of Rog Walker.

     So I reached out to Rog, for both our sakes. "Our" meaning you dear reader and myself. So that we might learn something much more significant about ourselves in the days ahead.

     And yes, I also reached out to Rog to honor the man. I didn't want to merely strip images from a website. I wanted him to know that I would tread far more lightly, like one dancing the waltz--gliding with precision and humility.

     So it goes. He appeared even more lovely than I could have ever imagined via our brief email exchange. And he has granted me permission to share his images with you.

     Thank you for indulging me in this small preface. But it was important to me.

But now, I want to remind you of something.

Something that you may have forgotten.

You may have just forgotten.

Or you may not even remember when you have forgotten.

But nevertheless, it has been forgotten.

You have a beautiful tenderness within you.

You still possess fire.

You still take someone's breath away.

You, yes you, are still loveable.

I don't know why and when everything had to get so complicated.

Growing up is so hard to do.

But you are becoming.

She is becoming.

He is becoming.

We are becoming.

Don't let the hardness of the way, make you cold and bitter and hard.

Open yourself up.

Let that tenderness seep through the cracks of your eyes and your skin and your ears.

You were once full of childlike laughter.

But somehow you've been robbed.

Even so, you know what.

I was once robbed, but someone literally mailed my stolen wallet back to me.

This is a true story.

So your heart won't be lost for long.

Your heart will not remain broken.

I can dream for the both of us tonight.

And I'll believe--I'll believe that the tenderness within you will be met with great affection, adoration, and adulation.

Because you are...so much more than you know.

Wisdom's Knocking: 

It is not tenderness that makes you weak, 

but rather bitterness that makes you brittle.

Photo Credit: Rog Walker