Reasons to Keep Living (2.12.18)

it's hard to think of things in the moment, things worth staying alive for.

Birthdays. Another candle on the birthday cake. Holding hands with someone and feeling the electricity. Chicken noodle soup on sick days. Staying up until two in the morning learning everything about someone. Making cookies. Petting dogs. First dates. Gazing at the stars. Realizing that someone loves you. Returning that love. The smell of old books. Hot chocolate on cold days. The feeling of getting back up after falling down. Acing a job interview. Screwing one up and realizing it’s not the end of the world. Collecting shells at the beach. Listening to someone’s heartbeat. The honesty of fall leaves. The colors of those leaves. Singing your favorite songs off-key and not caring. Sunrise. Sunset. The smell of a campfire. Smores. The way the graham cracker breaks on your lips and the marshmallow and chocolate melt in your mouth. Good memories. Learning how to forget bad ones. Genuine smiles that reach all the way to the eyes. Floating on your back in water. Teachers that feel more like friends. Road trips. Making daisy chains on the soccer field. Picking raspberries until your fingers are stained dark. Drawing things on frosty windows. Going through the car wash. The joy of swearing. SHIT! Eating your favorite foods. Giving people hugs and not letting go until they do. The sun that pours through your bedroom window in the morning. Understanding that comes from forgiveness.