love – Page 3 – Jennifer Thomson

February 12, 2013February 13, 2013

Family.

While BC celebrated their very first “Family Day” this month, I was unfortunately spending the day in Edmonton – away from my own family for the second year in a row (I was in Edmonton during Alberta’s family day last year). After spending the past two years living in towns and cities that are distanced from the city I call home (Vancouver), I find myself more appreciative of the fact that I have the family I do – both blood related and non.

My real family – the people I share common blood with – are the most loving, caring and nurturing people I know. They’re funny and understand the importance of enjoying eachother’s company, but they’re also intelligent and dedicated to using their knowledge to make something of themselves in this world. They’re a great influence on me, and they encourage me to give my very best to everything I do.

But I’m also lucky enough to have a family of friends – who I’ve found along my journey of growing up and bouncing around between jobs and cities. People who were once random strangers, have become the most crucial and important people in my life. I couldn’t imagine my life without them and I love them as if they were truly a part of my family. They make me a better person, because they push me to follow my heart and find happiness. They take care of me and protect me – not because they have to, but because they want to. It’s a mutual feeling of honest love that we share, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

I know that family members can sometimes be extremely irritating or bothersome, and that some friendships can be dramatic or frustrating at times – but at the end of the day, these are the people who contribute to the awesome-ness of your life. So just remember to be real, be genuine and give them the best you can. They deserve it, and so do you.

And even though Family Day might be over, don’t forget to give your loved ones an extra tight squeeze, a big wet kiss, and a great reminder of how grateful you are to have them in your life.

December 31, 2012January 2, 2013

the Jacket.

I drove past a man today, wearing a recognizably familiar coat. It was nothing extravagant, but it caught my eye and suddenly had me daydreaming of days that once were.

Instantly, I was 20 years old again and in the middle of a relationship with my very first true love. Steve* had the very same dull, burnt desert orange, worker’s jacket. He wore it on frequent occasion or had it resting on the bottom post of his bed frame, just waiting to be quickly picked up and thrown around his shoulders.
It was heavy and it was warm; I had worn it a few times myself when I extra chilly, whilst watching him smoke outside. It ruffled with rough, scratchy sounds whenever I wrapped my arms around him while he wore it, making him seem much bulkier than his usual slim body frame.
As often as Steve wore that jacket, he rarely zipped it up and you could usually see a skate/snowboarding company logo on a dark t-shirt beneath it. Reminded of that very fact, I vividly flashed back to the many times I would reach my hands past the zippers of the jacket and rustle those tees, running my hands along his soft, ivory skin…

That simple thought in itself sent a hint of shivers down my spine. So tame, but I remember being so attracted to him and during the good times, we really enjoyed eachother’s company. He was one of the people I truly felt myself around and never felt self-conscious of myself with – until things got unstable, messy and completely unsalvageable (leading to our bitter end).

A jacket… I saw an older man wearing a jacket, just walking down the street – he looked like he was on his way home from a long, dirty day at work – and all I could think of was a boy I used to know, with soft white skin and some of the best and softest kisses I’ve ever had.

Weird how that happens, hmm?

*name has obviously been changed for privacy and less drama kind of stuff.

December 28, 2012

That’s the Way Love Goes.

I wanted to know more about you. I wanted to understand you, learn about who you were, and why.

I barely knew you, I had nothing to go off of. I’d heard stories, been given advice and cautionary warnings, but I wanted to know for myself. I felt the itch, I took the risk, and I dove right into your charming ways.

You were more than I could have ever expected, more than what I had hoped for or even wanted. You were no longer a stranger, but someone I couldn’t go a day without talking to, thinking about; all of the sudden, I missed you.

I didn’t want to become one of the girls you had always spoken of and told me about. That was not going to be, me. As badly as I wanted you, I tried not to give in. I told myself it was a lie, that it meant nothing.
I didn’t want to get hurt, I wasn’t going to let you hurt me.

I wasn’t supposed to feel this way about you,
I shouldn’t love you…

…but I do.