I wonder if you realize

That the nose you wish to change
Was your grandfather's

That the mouth you wish was fuller
Is just like your aunt's

And your entirely unmanageable hair
Is from your father

That you are carrying your mother with you
Every time you laugh

And your beautiful little sister and you
Will lose your last name but not that freckle on your left hand

You're a mosaic of everything that has been loved before
And will be loved again in you

If I cannot fly,
Does that make the sky
Any less that amazing for a bird

If I cannot breath underwater
Does that make the beautiful blue depths
Any less perfect for a fish

And life for them in my shoes
Trapped on the earth would be hard
Despite the sunsets and music

So no, you are not hard to love
Not for the right person, not even for most
I'm just sorry you found a fish out of water before me

When I was unsure
Fear held me so tight
It hurt to move in any direction
But at least I was held

When I was despairing
Sadness would tell me
All that was wrong with me and the world
But at least I was acknowledged

When I was alone
Pain reached out
and filled me with anguish
But at least I wasn't empty

So now I look for the lost
And be a friend they can walk with
So they don't wander so far away
That Death is the only one who can find them

On your marks...

Get set...

And the gun fires

Some start the race fast
Others slow
But you can bet that the runners
Around you will change
As the race goes

I've gone fast
And slow
I've tripped, fallen
and even stopped walking.
I was ready for everything

Everything but this
We ran side by side
Not always talking
But always there

Then you were gone
You quit, you left
The race for you is over
But I must run on
Even as my heart breaks
And my feet ache