Growing up & all that jazz.

"gah i wish life was a movie.

for many reasons, 

1. everyone in movies looks amazing, duh. 

2. things work out in the end, & 

3. you can fast forward, rewind, & pause." 

Quote Dani Davis, tonight. & Let's be honest we can all relate to this a litttttle bit, right? Or am I alone in this? ha Nonetheless, tonight I had such a filling conversation with one of my dearest cousins & it really made me think about growing up & how I am currently in one of the biggest, or most influential stages of "growing up" in my life. & the scariest part is realizing it. This conversation was honest & raw & full of a mixture of logic & emotions. Pain and lessons being learned in the moment and realizing that these are the things that are shaping who we are becoming & the decisions we are making & will make in the future, even when the lesson is: never do that again.

To just let our hearts unfold to one another really allowed our hearts to intertwine & produce something that really pierced my soul. Its that new level of friendship that you unlock when something raw and messy breaks the ice & the friendship still stands, & it stands deeper, more solid, with more love. The kind of level of friendship we need with at least a few people, or at least one. The level that allows you to be you, beyond the degrees, or the facebook friend requests, or the make up, or the job, or the role model you think you have to be. This level is you, just you. Raw, messy, but living, breathing, learning you. & the only thing that makes some of those hard lessons seem okay and bearable are those who walk alongside us through it & have raw, intimate friendships that remind us we are human & grace is thick.

Thank you Erica, you're beautiful,
Merry Christmas.

Danielle Nicole.