march 30 2012. a day of hope.

30 march 2012 will be the 6th year anniversary from when the first shirt of To Write Love On Her Arms was worn by jon foreman, lead singer of the band switchfoot.

the shirts had been made to help out a friend in need. because the story was one that many shared, it grew into a movement. it started out simply as a way to raise money for the help someone needed and to give hope to someone who'd forgotten hope was real.

now that same hope is shared all over the country and the world. people are finding out that they are not alone in their pain and others are learning that they aren't helpless when their loved ones feel like they're fighting a losing battle.

someone close to me wears TWLOHA shirts very often. he believes the things they say, but he believes them for himself and for others. against all odds. at risk of sounding naive or foolish. he chooses that risk over giving up on anyone. this passionate hope in the form of a t-shirt...it sounds silly but helped me talk about things for the first time.

for the first time i felt safe enough to open up to someone.

and he's still here.

why do you wear TWLOHA?

i have a TWLOHA that dogtag that i never take off. one side has lost almost all it graphic; i am onto my third chain for it. my boyfriend gave it to me a little less than two years. i was about to leave for a long hard summer and had already had a lot of problems in the months of school. he gave it to me to remember him, to remember to keep fighting and hoping. because we both knew what the message of TWLOHA meant to us individually and together.

since then the dogtag has been through almost as much pain and struggle as i have. i've spent many nights holding it and rubbing my thumb across it. remembering hope, remembering my boyfriend who's been walking through hell with me, and everyone else loving me.

the paint has chipped, i feel bumps in the necklace.

but now i just think it fits me even better now.

a lot of sleepless nights, desperate for comfort and begging God for some relief.

terrified of losing another battle with myself.

and then the morning comes, and i wake up.

my TWLOHA necklace hangs from my neck.

i'm alive.

i'm not alone.

i'm still moving.

i have a new day to live.

why do i wear TWLOHA? my best answer would be to show you my dogtag necklace. full of story. full of hope. full of love.

rescue is possible.

hope is not a myth.

you are not alone.

a message from To Write Love On Her Arms, we are with you

"Nobody gets to name you. You are not forgettable. You are not replaceable. You are not your pain. You are sacred and special and alive.

i'm not sure what you make of Christmas but if you celebrate this day then perhaps the message is connected. Perhaps that supernatural impossible miracle baby Jesus, perhaps He came to name us. "

saved my life

growing up
in a little town
listen to
many hearts

love

a time of doubt
causing much grief
prayed

i was cutting
i had stopped
before finishing

power
i had never seen
before this time
fate? no


this
answer
in the memory of
Jesus

a note on blogs 12 and 12.5

both of these poems were taken from an article in rolling stone magazine. the article featured to write love on her arms. it is a non-profit movement that works to provide a path to help and recovery for people who struggle with depression, addiction, eating disorders, self-injury and suicide.

it began as an attempt to help a friend who was in trouble and needed people who would simply love her. t-shirts were made with "to write love on her arms" and sold to raise money to help her pay for rehab. they soon found out that these issues resonated with thousands of people and it grew into a movement.

if you want to find out a little more (as i'm sure i've hardly managed to explain this well enough) go to their website. this is the story that began it all. and this is their statement. though i recommend check it all out.

4 courage

holding out alone

communication
never happens at random

unfamiliar strategy
patterns and polls
more diverse than ever

begin.