Alicia Cook

“The strongest people I know
have been overtaken by their weaknesses.
They know what it’s like to lose control.
The strongest people I know
have cried in the shower and in their car.
They know loss and guilt all too well.
The strongest people I know aren’t bulletproof.
They have felt the searing pain of life’s shots.
The strongest people I know
make the decision every day to wake up
and place their two feet on the ground
even though they know the monsters beneath
their bed will grab at their ankles.
The strongest people I know
are not strong by definition, at all.
They are mistake-makers.
They are mess-creators.
They are survivors.”
― Alicia Cook, Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately

“If you are lucky enough to have a childhood
friend, try your hardest to grow old with them.
These friends are a unique, irreplaceable breed.
These friends lived through curfews and
Polaroid pictures with you. These friends know
your parents and siblings because they had to call
your house first to speak with you. Your memories
are not frozen in time on social media, but live on
nonetheless.
Most importantly, they remember the person
you were before the world got ahold of you, so
they have this crazy ability to love you no matter
what.
They are the living, breathing reflection of
where you have been. And so, just when you think
you’ve lost yourself for good, they are there to
bring you face-to-face with your true self, simply
by sharing a cup of coffee with them.
As your world grows and becomes larger and
more complicated than your backyard, even if you
establish a life elsewhere, I hope your childhood
friends remain lifelong allies, because mine have
saved my life on more than one occasion.”
― Alicia Cook, Stuff I've Been Feeling Lately