If you find yourself apologizing a lot or you feel ashamed or embarrassed or afraid of being yourself, this poem is especially for you:
“You are Not an Apology”
You may stop apologizing for
Feeling angry,
For crying,
For feeling afraid,
For thinking so deeply,
For not laughing at their jokes,
For longing for more,
For feeling joy pierce body and soul,
For making mistakes,
For not getting it,
For Needing,
For taking a three hour nap,
For dancing badly,
For dancing well,
For having the worst year,
For being a woman,
For being a man,
For having a body,
For doubting,
For making decisions,
For saying “No”.
You are not an apology.
*****
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Published by shellypruittjohnson
My name is Shelly Johnson, and I am a writer and philosopher with a Ph.D. in philosophy. One of my primary personal and philosophical interests is how we can learn to love ourselves and each other better in order to cultivate personal and political resilience. I teach ethics and a variety of other courses at a local college. I am the author of the blog Love is Stronger. I am also the author of three logic and critical thinking books for high school and middle school: _Argument Builder_, _Discovery of Deduction_ (co-author), and _Everyday Debate_, published by Classical Academic Press. You can reach me at shellypruittjohnson@gmail.com.
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