Instructions You Missed Along the Way
A pamphlet on the benefits of saying the things you're afraid to say out loud, complete with diagrams of one's esophagus blocked and clenched before, open and released after.
A data graph detailing how you are not yet where you will someday be. It will have numerous versions tracking important variables like patience and calm in the presence of volatility. Those will increase while things like upset over having dishes to wash will decrease.
A how-to video on how to preserve love through pain. The one that tells how to catch yourself mid-wounding and correct course before repeating again and again. A special feature outlines how to offer a good apology, one that doesn't stop short or hold back but goes all the way.
A road map showing all the many routes to purpose. All the places you could find yourself because you carry yourself to them.
A master-level college course on how to leave gracefully. Without storming out the way your wounded heart often wants to--not in anger so much as that other thing. You saw it enacted once while babysitting, when the two-year-old cried, beside himself, throwing his body through the house room by room, eyes squeezed shut in anguish as you steered him away from coffee table corners.
The bedtime prayer that ushers you into carefree slumber every time.
A blueprint for hearts. A script for the tour. "Here is where I keep my dreams--closer to the path than my regrets. Every pebble under our feet hand-painted with an intention or longing in a sea of purples, greens, and blues." A weather guide for how to dress in every season. When to opt for softness and when it's time for structure. It doubles as a fashion guide. How to Wrap Yourself (or Shed Layers) for Every Mood.
An investor's guide whose only currency is connection.
A flashlight called What to Do Next that only illuminates a small half-circle in front of where your feet now stand.
The embroidered pillow that says We Already Love You.