if nothing else ...

If nothing else …

Be silly. Laugh. Dance in your room with the music turned up too loud. Eat cake for breakfast. Pick up litter. Plant flowers as well as tomatoes. Read books that make you happy. Change your hairstyle but not who you really are. Ride a bike. Do cartwheels. Eat fresh strawberries. Ignore glamour magazines. Tell the truth. Make silly faces at yourself in the mirror. Learn a new language. Keep your friend’s secrets. Ignore clocks as much as possible. Find yourself before you try to find true love. Tell knock-knock jokes. Recycle. Be the kind of friend you would like to have. Go on a road trip. Run through sprinklers. Have a favorite everything. Drink plenty of water. Build things. Create things. Sing as loud as you can and as often as you can. Buckle your seat belt. Wear lip gloss for more than just chapped lips. Help others and yourself. Love who you are.

(a little excerpt from a book I'm writing for Larkin)