I take a trip down memory lane
And with you nothing seems the same
We were told that things change
Put who wants to believe what strangers say

I look through photographs
And some make me laugh
Some don't even look like us
What's with all the fuss
We build trust
Then let it rust

We grow up
Like trees
Are roots are in the same place
But are leaves take shape
We start to believe
That there is more out there for us

That if we just spread our wings far enough
We can grasp all the little things
That taking the time to watch the leaves change colors
Isn't always a waste of time

That growing old
Doesn't mean you forget how the sun feels on your face
That it can warm you up as quickly as it can go away
And memories fade
But time is always giving us gifts
A chance to make new ones

I once wanted to end it all
Tired of getting back up after every fall
I waited for the pain to just subside
But everyday it entered my mind

While my parents were fighting
I was running out of time
Told myself to just hold on
That I could do it
Just hold on

It slipped out to my best friend
In the 6th grade everything changed
A 6th grader dealing with suicide
I told her I wanted it all to end
That it just wasn't worth it anymore

When my parents found out we had a talk
They told me things would be different
That they would be different

I remember the promises they made
A week later those promises never existed
But my pain remained

I once tried to end it all
Sometimes I look back and wonder if I made the right choice
And when I fall
I'm afraid I wont get back up
I'm afraid that I'm not strong enough
Those thoughts always enter my mind

Sometimes at night I think about life
Like if I were straight would I dodge hate
Or if I tried harder in school or were a better athlete
My parents wouldn't feel the need to lecture me about every little thing
I think about love and how everybody seems to take it for granted
Everything revolves around text messages instead of face to face interaction
"I love you" gets thrown around like a boomerang
And you stand there waiting for it to come back but realize that it was never yours to throw in the first place
Sometimes at night I think about life
Like maybe if I just opened my arms to the world
I would be ready to catch all the pain instead of letting it hit me in my face
If only I accepted every little thing for what it was
I would better understand why some experience more pain than others
Sometimes I miss sleep so I can think about life
Realizing that what I want has to be in my reach or else it never would of entered my mind
Just give it time
I'll make you realize that with life you take the good and the bad
Hand in hand
Always understand that where you stand isn't always where you plan to be
A little misfortune can sometimes be a blessing

I am a daughter a sister and a lover but a fighter when needed

I take what I can get but never give up hope that I may one day get more

I am a hopeless romantic and not afraid to admit it I am lost in a sea of dreams and not sure which way I should swim

People say I fall in love to quickly but maybe they don't fall fast enough

I am stubborn and doubtful I try not give into temptations or peer pressure

I am wild and crazy, loud and at times immature I am not afraid to say how I feel but then hesitate to make sure I don't hurt people

I am a friend I am overprotective and can go a little insane I try my best to make the ones I love happy I never fail to intertwine my dreams and my reality So I can one day say I achieved far beyond what was thought of me

I am an artist an athlete and a comedian I write how I feel, play to win and make others smile

I am gay but I don't let it define me I accept it I am proud of it

I am a one track mind with an old soul I am curly hair green eyes and talent that flows threw my bones

I try to be myself at all times I am a dreamer a believer and most of all I am an achiever Hoping that one day I find my place in this world and if I get lost I won't hesitate to stop and ask for directions

I am not afraid to chase my dreams even if they take me to the unknown I am more then what is shown on the outside I am more then you know

I don't know what goes on in this house
I don't know what I've been watching all these years
Pushing through the screaming, threatening and tears
Searching for the light that is supposed to be at the end of this tunnel
But I feel like I'm in a funnel
Spinning around and around
And when it stops
I'm left dizzy and confused
Waiting for the words "I'm sorry" and "I love you"
Growing up it was like World War 3
I was the soldier
And my enemies
Were called mom and dad
And looking back
This house that I have lived in
Was a battlefield
Where blood was shed and hearts were broken
Where I heard countless times "I hate you" "get out" "I wish I had never married you"
I was led to believe that home was a war zone
And I was left alone
To sit there and watch
Hoping to be rescued
Or woken from a lifelong nightmare
My pain became as real as the threats they said
My anger became as sharp as the knives they held
My home became my worst fear
And these walls became my fight for freedom
Home is where the heart is never applied to me
My home was full of hatred and countless enemies
If only they could see how many shots they've fired at me
And what its been like living in a constant World War 3

With everything that's around us
Sometimes we forget the big picture
Sometimes we hold are heads up searching
And miss what is right below us
And we think
Will we ever find what we are looking for
But do we even know what that is
Life is full of amazing Kodak moments
And hard life changing realities
We begin to question what we were originally looking for
What is it?
Where did it go?
I'm not sure
And we begin to question our ability to figure things out
Like realizing that no matter how hard yesterday was
The sun will still greet us in the morning
Or why that old song on the radio still makes you smile
We begin to think if we can do this
And as soon as we question our self's
We lose sight of what's right in front of us
True happiness does not mean that we have everything figures out
But it does mean that we can brush off the dirt and dust of life
And once we figure out that we can't control what happens to us
Be can control how we feel about it
Then life wont seem so bad anymore
All those twists and turns that we weren't expecting
Now have a purpose
And its to keep life interesting
And that my friends is a beautiful thing

Life has a way of changing
Rearranging
Turning in the opposite direction
And how you handle it
Live with it
And deal
Makes you a better person
You can be fully prepared
But still end up scared
You can lower your expectations
And still be let down
They say what doesn't **** you makes you stronger
Or is it just killing us slowly
And taking longer
Love can sometimes be the best thing about life
But if you take it for granted
You might be put to the side
Knowledge is key
That's what I've been told
With all this knowledge
The world is still cold
Don't waste your opportunities
They might not come back
Life is short
And in a snap
You can lose everything you have
But for some reason
We all still get consumed
By what other people have
Try and picture the life some people live
No electricity
Or food in the fridge
Get past the fact that you can't get that new phone
Get past the fact you might not have the nicest home
Life is a never ending battle
Between the good and the bad
You want things to be easier
Start being grateful for what you have