Training a Warrior Woman - under construction

Dear Heart,

You remind me so much of myself that it hurts.
Your readiness to laugh,
The over-frequency of your words,
The way I can tell what you're thinking by the way your face contorts.
You are so beautiful,
Precious to anyone who takes the time to see beyond the image in their mind of what a young girl should be.

But be careful.
At fifteen, boys don't know what they need.
They think they know what they want,
And you think you can see through them,
But in the spirit of practicality
But take my advice
You are both wrong.
I know that you are loving, accepting,
Open, patient, and know the importance of the team,
But despite his best intentions,
He is not grown up enough to give you any stability,
Certainty, encouragement, or direction
And those are the things you need.
I know you want to be brave.
We are warrior women and bravery is at the core of our being.
But for now, please,
Just be careful.

Be strong.
If you are as much like me as I think
You spend a lot of time wishing you weren't alone.
Take the time you have with yourself;
Do something that makes you feel important.
I sang and wrote poetry.
Maybe you dance or paint or plant things.
Whatever it is do it whole-heartedly.
It won't stay the tears or stop the pain
But listen to the voice of the future telling you it's a pleasant way to train for battle.
Cry your tears into the soil of your garden;
Let them nourish the plants to first light.
Mix your acrylics with salt water from your eyes,
Paint rivers, streams, and pituitaries.
Stretch so far that you can be silent while your muscles scream.
Learn to turn pain into beauty,
Because beauty is strength,
And a warrior's strength is her everything.

The most important advice I can give:
Never lose your laugh.
When the world comes crashing down on your shoulders -
And I'm sorry, Dear Heart, but it will -
Your mirth will be the only thing you have.
There will come a time,
Likely many,
When there is no comfort in lessons learned,
Not in his arms, or through her words,
And the ONLY thing that will bring relief
Is laughing.
So take yourself to comedies,
Hold the fun memories so tightly to your chest that their remembrance makes you smile.
Giggle incessantly.
Guffaw uproariously
Even when it wasn't that funny.
When someone tells you it's annoying -
And they will -
Tell them you're practicing for later.

I am nervous because
I see so much of myself in you.
Underneath of your skin pale, hair straight, eyes blue,
And that will make it simpler,
But you were still born into the spirit of warrior.
You are still a woman fighting a system run by men -
Not because they overpower us,
But because we give everything to them.
You are still vulnerable,
Like a sheep in the lion's den of high school.
Despite what the little girl in my past says,
There's nothing I can or would hope to do
To interfere in your process.
But you must believe the voice you hear on the wind
When it whispers the word patience.