These Are The Things You Deserve

A hug.
A smile.
A friend who loves you.
Love, period.
A safe place to live.
Running water, heat, clean sheets.
An education.
A chance.
Hope.
The Oreo milkshake.
Sunday morning lie-ins.
To know what you want.
To go after what you want.
To take the trip.
To look in the mirror and like what you see.
A new jumpsuit.
To skip.
To dance.
To play.
To leap in the name of why not?
To just exist.
Meaning.
Aliveness for aliveness’ sake.
Appreciation.
To fuck up.
To redeem yourself.
The privilege of change.
Travel.
No judgment.
To decide what success is for yourself.
To shave your head, pierce your nose, to wear the tutu with the stripy tights and biker boots. The prom dress, the yuppy shirt, the rimless glasses. What-the-hell-ever.
A night in.
To ask him out.
To ask out her out.
To say yes.
To let them pay.
To share what you have.
To make something.
Music.
A voice.
Discussion. Debate. Argument.
Opinion – and the right to change it as you learn something new.
Sun on your skin.
Your feet in the ocean.
Books.
The “meet-cute”
A really great haircut.
To have everything you think you know changed in just one single moment.
To treat the one you love to something they’ve wanted for a while.
Kindness.
Even more kindness.
The best.
Slithers of happiness.
Wholeness.
To feel the fear and do it anyway.
To say no.
To be yourself.
Confidence.
The strength to walk away.
Sex. Good sex. Orgasmic sex.
Intimacy.
Children.
Family.
To feel special.
The perfect job.
No shame.
To do it your way.
To ignore the haters – because there will always be haters.
Romance.
Vulnerability.
Consent.
To own your humanness.
To quit when it just doesn’t fit any more.
Right now.
To be balls-deep in what you’re passionate about.

…You deserve, actually, everything you’ve ever dared wish for.