I’ve always been the ugly duckling, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the too loud one, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the strong one, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the black one, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the lonely one, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the one whose aqua shirt didn’t match her blue pants, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the one who worked extra hard who never tried for the promotions, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the one who had never been asked out on dates, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the one who cared too much for folks who have cared very little if not at all, and that’s okay.
Because, you see, ALL of those things, helped God and Life to shape the Jaybird, the Sweetpea, the beloved one, who chair dances, freely, joyfully, tearfully in her aqua tshirt and undies.
Yes, world, being an ugly duckling, has been my honor, for it helped bring out the kitty in me.
Us ugly ducklings, are beautiful, world, for we fly, we try, we love, STILL.
Us ugly ducklings, fly, disjointed, often alone yet we fly, still.
We don’t do as the beautiful birds do, that is, hide behind their gilded cages. Afraid, to try their wings. Afraid, they may be seen as too loud or too proud or too this or too that.
The beautiful ones, you see, are much more lonelier than us ugly ducklings. They don’t have very many friends. Not, real ones. Or, honest ones, I think. Seems like they are surrounded by folks who want what they have, while feeling like an imposter.
Sadly, I think the beautiful ones feel ugly too. Except, they have never been able to say. They, have rarely, if ever have been asked to fly, to try, so they have no idea if they ever can, if they ever will.
I feel really badly, sorry even, for the beautiful birds whose hearts are locked away, their voices silenced and stashed, there behind their gilded cage(s).
I want to say to them, today, come on out, beautiful ones. Let YOU be heard. You are so very much more than what you look like. You are so very much more than the clothes you wear. Your value has nothing to do with the size of your home, the amount of clothes in your closet.
Your worth, beautiful ones, depends not one iota on how many ‘like’ quotas you fill, or don’t fill.
Your worth, beautiful ones, depends not one wit, on how many baskets you make, how many arenas you fill.
Your worth, beautiful ones, depends not one stitch, upon how many tiks can tok.
Your worth, beautiful ones, depends not one inch, on the square footage of this, that, or the other thing.
You are beautiful, my beautiful ones, simply because you were born. No matter your color, gender, tender, whatever you can and can not render.
You are free to hang with me, beautiful ones. Hang with this ugly duckling, this unshiny chick, this dented woman, this old kid.
You see, world, I am sho nuff an ugly duckling, and that’s okay.
I’ve always been the ugly duckling, and that’s okay.
It didn’t used to be.
Sadly, madly, ungratefully in what God and Life had made, I made myself try and ‘make do’ with thing thing called my life. I tried to ‘pay my dues’ by doing, doing, doing, doing, til doing done went and done me in.
I looked at this face, this life, these hands, this ugly handwriting, this too loud mouth not fit for quiet society and decided I could rent some space, in just a corner of this earth. Paid rent by giving all that I had. Not knowing this was NOT what God, what Life, had called/asked/chosen me to be.
I am here, for a reason.
My life, has meaning.
Always, has.
Always, will.
It just took a relentless pursuit, took some relentless love, from My Relentless Love, God, and Life, to help me to SEE me, value me, cherish me, love me, receive me, accept me.
Today, this ugly duckling laughs at the term. What is ugly, about me? Ugly, was the way I dismissed my worth, my aqua shirt, my chair dancing, my love of all things goofiness, my love for folks who could give nary a hoot in return.
Today, this ugly duckling chair dances, in her non matching aqua shirt and in her undies…
YYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!
Yea, I’ve always been the ugly duckling, and that’s okay.
How ’bout you?
Jaybird
#YourLifeMattersToMe
- THE HAND FROM HEAVEN ✋🏾☁️🧻🤣
- COME SIT AT MY TABLE 🪑❤️🩹
- BELOVEDS, YOU CAN HAVE MY FLOWERS. I DON’T NEED THEM ANYMORE.
- Forgive them, Cassandra, God said to me
- Still In Love
Why Can't I Be Loud?! 