Month: June 2020

Dear Brides on their Wedding Day

Bailey Gunn1 Comment

My sister is getting married this weekend in a small ceremony that uses social distancing and some homemade touches.

And I know this is not the wedding day she planned. Or even the Plan B. And I know right now it’s hard to have anything happy in these times in which nobody feels like celebrating.

But this is my message to brides:

Hold on to this moment. Even amidst the pain and confusion. Even amidst the virus and the pandemic. Even amidst the peace and the justice.

This is not the moment you wanted. It’s not the moment you planned. But it is your moment. And it is as good as any to breathe in happiness and exhale negativity. And that’s all you need to get married. You just need a moment to reach out and take your happiness.

I hope you recognize it for the precious moment it is. Whether you are surrounded by hundreds of people or just a few. Whether it is in your backyard or at a fancy wedding venue. Whether you are writing your vows or taking age-old ones.

You are marrying the person you love. And nothing can take that from you.

Love,

Bailey

Your Story

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You know when you’re in a bookstore and you pick up a book and realize it’s very similar to one you’ve read before.

Well, I hate to be the one to tell you but there’s very little originality in this world anymore. Everything is so yesterday, having been done before and many times at that.

But there is one thing that will keep you from diving down the hole of depression on this one: it’s you.

You have never written your story.

And it will be unique, and wonderful, and something that the world has never seen before.

Because it will be yours.

In the narrative of this country and this life, do not forget to write your own story. This is your chance to make it what you want. Never mind that everyone is doing something similar. Your voice will stand out.

It always has.

Love,

Bailey

Your Mind is a Garden

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I said what I said.

Your mind is a garden. You can fill it up with anything you want. Peonies, hydrangeas, sunflowers, vegetables. And you can rain down sunshine and water and let the flowers bloom.

Or you can weed and weed widely. You can pull things out by the roots so that they never appear again. You can spread mulch so that you never have to weed again.

This is all up to you. You plant the goodness and you root out the evil in your mind.

So if you’re wondering what you can do to help the BLM movement. Think about doing some planting. Or some watering. For the ideas that we need. Or rooting out some bias.

It’s your call.

Love,

Bailey

Speechless

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I muted my social media account that is linked to this blog for one week in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. But now that it is time to go back to my normal posting schedule, I’m a little bit speechless.

What do you say to a nation of people that have been hurting since this country came into being?

What do you say to people that tell you you’re just wrong for being who you are?

What do you say to a people that have nothing left to give but still have to fight?

You don’t say anything. You learn and you listen.

And a lot of people will say, Bailey you don’t write anything political on your blog. You just want to be a light and a source of good.

And I say to them, this isn’t a political issue. It’s a human issue.

So while I am still posting, I will still be learning and listening. I will be posting resources on my social media page for this blog, @baileydaileywrites so feel free to follow me there.

Be safe and be well.

Love,

Bailey

Be Kind To Yourself

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This is TiffaniJane. She writes with a vulnerable heart and this particular blogpost is one after my own heart. Go read her blog!

Tiffani's avatarTiffaniJane

Lately I’ve found myself saying some really mean things. Not to other people but to myself.

I have two sick parents and when I say sick I mean diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, vision and hearing problems, liver and kidney problems, cancer, epilepsy and the list goes on.

And sometimes I’m not my highest self.  The truth is…I’m grieving yesteryear while trying to accept today and sometimes I’m not my best self – I can be impatient and short – not at all who I aspire to be.

Here are some of the things I’ve said to myself – “Why did you say it like that? You should’ve just listened.”

“You should have been better.” And the most distressing, “What if that was the last time you’ll ever get to talk to them?” – That’s anxiety speaking.

Then one day, after an army of negative thoughts steamrolled my good mood, I thought…

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The Colour of Persistence (Evergreen)

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This is Heath Muchena. His poetry is quite beautiful. I especially liked this one. Check out his work on his blog!

Love,
Bailey

Heath Muchena's avatarOn The Heath

free your mind to seed wild dreams
map the milestones then take a leap
everything else will follow
for faith flows as we move in perpetuity

embrace the toil
so that when your plans are foiled
you don’t forget that nature never promised the path to growth
would be evergreen

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A Love Letter to My Hair

Bailey Gunn5 Comments

This week, instead of posting new things I want to stay silent and instead allow other POC voices to come through. This is a particularly moving piece about one woman’s journey with her hair. I loved this post and I hope you do too.

Let me just say, this is the longest amount of time I have ever spent on a blog post. It is a wide open door into a hidden part of me that I never …

A Love Letter to My Hair