if raindrops never fell from the sky
there would be no sturdy evergreens, and
cherry blossom petals would never fall in the streets
like confetti, celebrating the welcoming of spring.

if hearts never ached with dull emptiness
or dried up with loneliness and longing
we would never appreciate the feeling
of heart seams that are bursting with love.

when the pain grabs hold and rips you open
and tears break the dam of your closed eyelids
do not worry because this is how strength is made
and every hurt builds a new callous on your now tough skin.

when the cracks in your foundation become craters,
when the earth breaks away at your feet,
when the world beneath you crumbles away
this is when you grow wings.