“What they call you is one thing, What you answer to is something else.”
This part of a poem by Lucille Cliffton struck me—it went right on in and brought a moist feeling to my eyes. I know, I know, and I am rock-solid, certain you know, too, that it does not matter what labels others try to stick on you; ultimately, our own response and self-definition truly matter.
What I know for certain, too – is that what others say about me sticks to me like a post-it.
Does that mean I believe it? Does it mean I haven’t embraced the freedom to be who I am without shaking off the post-its? Or does it mean sticks, stones, and words can hurt if thrown at the bull’s eye of my being? Does it mean I take thoughts to heart?
What I do know is that those few lines of Lucille Cliffton shifted me, and I like that feeling.
Isn’t it beautiful when the ripple of goodness reaches our shore, wetting our feet and causing us to jump in clothes and all?
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