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Zack Ripley Feb 2022
Today, I'm conflicted:
I don't want to remember you
But I don't want to forget either.
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
You'll have more bad days than good.
You'll experience more pain
than you should have to.
At times, you'll feel broken; weak.
But you're stronger than you would think.
And when you find that strength,
that reason to stand,
you will come to understand
you have new responsibilities.
Responsibilities to yourself.
To the ones you let in.
Even responsibilities to the ones
who get under your skin.
You've come so far already,
but there's still so much to do.
I'll leave you to it.
I just want you to know I'm proud of you.
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
What does it mean to take a chance?
What does it mean to make a change?
What does it mean to be strange,
and why is it so scary?
"Where should I go? What should I do?"
"How should I know? I'm not you."
So many questions. So little time.
I guess the good thing is,
you get to decide the answers
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
The past is not the present
The present is not the future
Which means you can be
more than your past
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
To the dancer in the dark: what you do
isn't a walk in the park.
So don't be afraid to let someone
shine a light on you.
To the singer in the shower:
you know as well as anyone
how music can heal.
So let people hear your power.
To the sketchbook artist:
one person's trash is another's treasure.
So, please: don't throw something away
even if it doesn't give you pleasure.
To everyone else:
you all had dreams at some point.
If you're friends with artists, respect the hustle. Respect the passion.
Help keep the dream alive.
Because dreaming is still
how the strong survive.
But they can't do it all alone.
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
Someday, I may start moving on.
I know that's what you'd want.
But I need you to hear me when I say
"I ain't going nowhere."
I may grieve, but I'll never let
the memories leave. I'll never let the music die. And when times get tough,
I'll never forget I have an angel on my side
Zack Ripley Jan 2022
We all make mistakes. It's just a fact.
So why beat yourself up when it seems someone's always ready to kick you
when you're down?
Give the fires in your head a chance to die.
The stress and fear already make you
want to cry. But you know what?
It's okay to take a minute
and try to forgive yourself.
To let yourself off the hook.
Because you aren't responsible for everything that happens in your life.
And one more thing.
Remember that you'll never get the full story
on the first look.
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