We all start somewhere
as a somebody
who takes on labels
and names and identities
assigned to us by those who
happen to come our way,
by those who love us,
and by those who don’t…
And as we grow, we wear
those labels for a bit…
we try them on
for size and for a good fit…
We let them wrap around
our souls to see
if they fill us with
the assurance that
we are loveable and whole
and strong and worthy
or if they leave scars from
the chafing as they
restrict us and rub
against our truth,
our very unique being
that we know we
are growing into…
Some labels linger with us
as we know they are
part of who we
were created to be,
and some we shed
knowing they never truly
belonged to us
and failed to define
who we know we are…
We grow into new
identities and names
as we take time to
discover the hope
we were born with
and the wings we grew into,
finding new ways
to live out who
we were all along,
and out of the love
we discovered along our journey,
we give others the space
to do the same,
watching and accepting
as they name who they are,
and we celebrate because
I became me…
And we join hands as
we honor that
who we knew as she
became he
and respect that
who we knew as he
became she…
we dance with joy
that she loves she
and he loves he
and she loves he
and he loves she
And through the
dance of life
we are still we…
Together
--Chris Pepple ©2019