RIP Mary Oliver

I've always love Mary Oliver's words. She combined the natural observations in the day-to-day with the intangible spiritual world. I always stumbled on her poetry in times when the words were most applicable to my mood or the moment. These words greeted me as I read about her passing, and it really put a cap on my feelings of 2018: you only die once, so shed the expectation of perfection, try to cast out the demons that others have given you (and thereby accepted) and engage in living your best life*.

* go on that bike ride. sign up for that impossible race. eat two pieces of pie. laugh shamelessly & stand up for your justices. take the nap. have impossibly good sex and never apologize for it.