Category: Loneliness

No one should cry alone

Published on by Amberley Charlotte WritesLeave a comment

From my first breath
I knew

It was my job
to take care
of you

Hearing you cry
wiping your tears

With every meltdown
every crisis
every emergency

I was there
to take care
of you

The guilt I felt
for your loss
and your pain

It wasn’t my fault
I wasn’t to blame

But every moment
every fear

I was there
to take care
of you

Soon I accepted
my place in this world
my value
my reality
my worth

And in my life
with every meltdown
every crisis
every emergency

I’ve been there
to take care
of everyone else

Because no one
should cry alone

Soon I had my own kids
my own family
my own life

And it became
an honor
a blessing
my job

To wipe their tears
comfort their fears
and take care
of them

Why am I still feeling guilty?

It wasn’t my fault
I wasn’t to blame

And yet my life
is the same

Without a crisis
a moment
a fear
an emergency
a meltdown
a tear

I ask
Who am I?

I was a child
you were
my parents

I was a child
I was your therapist
You were my clients

I was a teenager
You were my children

I was a child
with no time
to be a child

With no one to
show me the way
to guide me
to teach me
to hold me

And now
with every crisis
every fear
every emergency
every tear

I am there
to take care
of everyone

Because no one
should cry alone

As I sit here
crying alone


Amberley Charlotte ©4.26.23
Photo Cred: https://unsplash.com/@spce

This is love This is you

Published on by Amberley Charlotte WritesLeave a comment

Pay by page
Word after word
Peeling back the layers
of who you thought
you were

Looking in the mirror
The years have been tough
Extra pounds
Age spots

Stories behind
your eyes
speak volumes
and secrets kept
hidden to protect
your mental health

And yet
in that moment
you choose
to love yourself
through it

Memory fades
Energy has slowed

This is you
The newer version

Streaks of grey hair
become natures highlights

Wrinkles are proof
of a life
courageously lived

And while looking in the mirror
you go from seeing
someone you don’t know
to someone you’d like to know
to someone you quite like
to someone you love

Because
you chose
to love yourself
through it

Suddenly you view
the signs of aging as
Growth
Resilience
Courage and
Strength

Who you were
doesn’t matter as much
as who you’ve become
and where you’re going

And when you get there
as weird as it feels
there is comfort
peace
and love
you never thought
you could experience

But you did it

You survived
the self-doubt
feelings of
not being good enough
pretty enough
or skinny enough

You survived the
brutal abuse
spoken from
your own tongue
the self-degradation
and painful thoughts
of comparison
because you were
and could never
be
enough

Now this is
a different time
Life feels different
You are different

Loneliness has
become solitude

Quite time has
become necessary

Self-care
finally has meaning

And you wonder
what is this?

Have I finally accepted myself?
Do I genuinely love myself
for who I am
who I was
and where I’m going?

This is love
This is acceptance
This is you

This is who you
have been waiting for!


Amberley Charlotte ©2022
Photo: https://pixabay.com/users/pixel2013-2364555/

It’s what you don’t say

Published on by Amberley Charlotte Writes2 Comments

There’s a shift in your mood
but no one notices

There’s pain in your heart
but no one notices

You’re
sinking
drowning
gasping for air
but no one notices

You wear
a beautiful smile
toss a joke
into the conversation
show love
support
and compassion

You need a life jacket
but no one notices

To them
you haven’t changed

You don’t
recognize yourself
anymore
and no one notices

It’s what you don’t say
that hurts the most

It’s what you don’t say
that needs to be said

What you don’t say
speaks louder
than words


Amberley Charlotte ©2022
Photo: Tammy Gann

LOVE HARDER

Published on by Amberley Charlotte WritesLeave a comment

When you can’t outrun 
the painful memories
LOVE HARDER
but don’t let go

When your heart aches and
you can’t find your breath
LOVE HARDER
but don’t let go

When the pain
drops you to your knees
LOVE HARDER
but don’t let go

LOVE HARDER
someone gets it

LOVE HARDER
someone is living it

LOVE HARDER
someone needs you
but they want to let go

LOVE THEM HARDER
and don’t let go!


Amberley Charlotte ©2022
Photo Cred: Nick Fewings: https://unsplash.com/@jannerboy62 

The pandemic of loneliness: 5 ways to be kind that will cost nothing.

Published on by Amberley Charlotte Writes4 Comments

I have a sensitive heart. My heart literally aches for people. Sometimes, I wish it would stop.

I don’t have to know you. You don’t have to be in my inner circle, but if we’ve had any connection and I feel that you’re going through something, I need to find a way to make your life a little brighter.

I believe we have a pandemic of loneliness in this world. We feel like our hands are tied with Covid, but every one of us can do something each day to bring joy and kindness to another person.

We have enormous power!
We can choose our words, reactions, emotions, and how we present ourselves to the world.

Choosing to be 100% authentic, honoring who we are, following our dreams, being proud of our talents and accomplishments, and valuing the education we have received no matter what that looks like.

Did you get a degree from Harvard or a certificate from clown school?

Does it matter?
Because each person in this scenario is equally important, intelligent, and powerful enough to make a difference in this world.

I have a soapbox, and I stand on it often when it comes to matters of the heart. I want everyone to feel loved. I want every child to feel wanted. I want everyone in my life to know that they matter.

People are hurting, and we have an opportunity to help them heal.

Here are five ways to be kind and spread joy without spending money!

1. Check on a friend: Call them. Text or Message them on social media. People tend to hurt in silence. They don’t want to be a burden. But they might allow you in if you open the door. You could be the person they needed at that moment. Hold the umbrella in their storm. Let them know they can rely on you.

2. Be encouraging: Respond to a post on social media. When your friends/followers post something, be encouraging! They could be struggling, and your encouragement might help them go the extra mile.

3. Listen. When someone needs to talk, share, or cry. Listen. You don’t have to fix it or control it. Just listen. You might be the only person that gives them time that day.

4. Say hello to a stranger. People don’t make eye contact anymore. You walk past somebody, and they look down. Say hello!  What’s the worst that could happen? They might think you’re crazy, they might say hello, or they might walk away, but you started a conversation!

5. Pay someone a compliment. This is not hard, yet it is extremely hard. So Amberley, are you telling me to go up to anyone and pay them a compliment? Yes! Yes, I am.
Friend, or a stranger, pay them a compliment. “Nice shoes, dude.” “Love the color of your hair.” “Your dog is adorable!” I know that wasn’t a personal compliment, but dog people love it when someone compliments their dog!

Easy Peezy, right? No!

Putting ourselves out there is never easy, but these simple random acts of kindness will bring a smile to someone’s face, and make you feel wonderful in the process!

Blessings,

Amberley Charlotte ©2022

Photo cred: chris-curry-88-unsplash