kisses aren't contracts.

"You learn. After a while, you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand & chaining a soul, & you learn that love doesn't mean leaning, & company doesn't mean security. & you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts & presents aren't promises. & you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open; with the grace of a woman not the grief of a child. & you learn to build all your roads on today because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans, & futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight. After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much. So you plant your garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. & you learn that you really can endure, that you really are strong & you really do have worth. & you learn and learn. With every goodbye, you learn.”