There are people who hate the rain. It's gross out, they say. But this same rain makes flowers bloom and not you too? Or maybe you're so beyond nature that you've used your magical human powers to simulate the chemical reaction between an oxygen and two hydrogen molecules, and rendered the drinking water provided by rain useless? Well, that's fine. But me, personally, I love the rain. It rained on my graduation day. We were outside in the middle of Wallace Wade because there was no rain location. The first time in over 16 years that there had been no sunshine. And even with my perm, I didn't mind. That morning, my daddy said that rain brings blessings. Coming from the man that taught me that fail to prepare is to prepare to fail, I heeded his prayer and stopped using umbrellas.

my cousin sent me a chain text msg and I didn't hate it.

Dear God,

This is my girl, my friend, my sister, whom I love and this is my prayer for her.

Help her live her life to the fullest. Please promote her and cause her to excel above her expectations.

Help her to shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love.

Protect her at all times,

Lift her up when she needs you the most and let her know when she walks with you she will always be safe.

Amen.

everything that's been causing internal conflict and deep uneasiness came to a head today. a test of how close I'd come to my breaking point. where I did everything I could to end each conversation so the person speaking to me would leave before the first tear fell. of course I tried to hold it back, like I've done so often, but it was as if my heart and my mind said, "not this time." I guess I needed to hit that wall. to send it crashing down. now unable to walk, I'd have to take a car home.

securing the voucher kinda made the pain subside. it helps to have something to look forward to. the fdr. lights of the bridges ahead of me. the time to myself. it never gets old, seeing the brooklyn bridge illuminated before me. I wish I could put my finger on why the image leaves me spellbound. perhaps it's the stretch of road that never seems long enough, as I try in vain to keep the image forever framed. the image of a spectacularly lit bridge flanked stunningly by the lower manhattan skyline. or maybe it's the disbelief that human hands couldve come together to build something so grand, so beautifully and meticulously constructed. it sends me into a trance, a steady-breathing, heart calmly-beating trance. reminding me that what happened today is no match for how I envision my tomorrow.