Sitting in the car attached to the cart while grocery shopping with your mother

Being carried from the couch to your bed by your father after you've accidently fallen asleep watching The Little Mermaid

again

The stuffed animal that was given to you in the hospital when you were born, still kept beside your bed

it still jingles when you shake it

The smell of snickerdoodle cookies that reminds you of your grandmother

as does the smell of the Nivea creme that comes in a blue container

While crime shows and world war II stories remind you of your grandfathers

Weird games that you made up with your little sister years ago, with names like "air fight" and "octopus"

 

Writing letters to your elementary school crush, and being embarrassed when you realize you forgot to leave it anonymous

“I want to marry you Clark”

The health teacher who listens to you, and goes with you to a counselor when your best friend hasn't eaten in a week

Your high school drill team coach, who throws sleepovers for 30 teenage girls in her own home

and makes them all monkey bread for breakfast

When your English teacher still believes in you even though you’re barely scraping a ‘C’

and your best friend proof reads all your papers because you don’t want to let anyone down

 

Your best friend isn’t mad at you for being worried, though you were scared she might be

just like you forgive her for telling someone when she notices the marks on your arm

and when your first love breaks your heart for the first time, you know who is going to stay by your side

Late nights with glasses of wine snuck from your parents’ pantry, and the little bit of vodka someone swiped that no one can stand the taste of

although as you get older, the vodka somehow doesn’t seem to taste as bad

and when the next tragedy strikes, your friend is still there to tell you when to put the bottle down

 

Eventually you’ll meet someone who doesn’t do irreparable damage, and love is the feeling of being in their arms

feeling their heart beat against you, your bodies becoming as one

Warmth