5/30/21
Strawberry red is my favorite color because it makes me feel bold.
It reminds me of spring-turning-summer in my hometown – greengreengreen everywhere you look and a perfect sky blue sky reflecting off the pond in my dad’s backyard and picking strawberries in fields around town with my brothers.
Going home, slicing off the stems, halving them, tossing them into a bowl with cane sugar overnight, and waking up the next morning to sweet red syrupy goodness. Strawberry shortcake strawberry pie strawberry cake chocolate-covered strawberries at the Strawberry Festival.
I think that proper boldness maintains a hint of comfort, of familiarity. The comfort is well-rooted within an impenetrable heart cavern that holds resolute while the scary-unknown of boldness plays out. Boldness is an invitation, a challenge – I’ll take a risk because I’m sure of my heart’s rootedness. Please try to unearth me.
Strawberry red is my favorite color because it makes me feel bold. Often, I don’t feel bold. Don’t take risks. Don’t draw attention what if they notice how critical I am what if he turns me down what if they think I’m self-obsessed what if they don’t care about me at all.
If boldness maintains comfort, then timidity has an iron grip on fear. Scared girl lonely girl ghost girl.
Strawberry red is my favorite color because it makes me feel bold. Strawberry red is right now, in these spring-turning summer days where there’s green everywhere you look and the perfect blue sky reflects off the pond in my dad’s backyard. Sweet red syrupy goodness invites you, invites me into a rootedness that sets aside fear and opens you, opens me up to all that is unknown.
Please try to unearth me.
Lightly,
Leah
Leah Kepley, M.Ed. 