I look at you looking at me.
Please, tell me, what do you see?
Do you see a man with a gentle soul?
Or can you see straight through to my darkness
trying to take control?
You ask what I see when i look at you.
Do i see a loyal friend?
Or can i see how much you're dying inside?
Pretending to be strong
for those who need a friend to stand beside.
It's something we struggle with every day.
And it's a fight worth fighting every step of the way.
Something i want you to keep in mind though:
even if the darkness wins, and all we can see is black
darker than the darkest night, in the end, we will all see the light.

I've said hello. I've had to say goodbye.
I've said a lot of things in my time.
And I'll say a lot more.
Because you taught me
that what I have to say matters.
And now it's time to share
what I've learned with you.
What you have to say matters.
What you WANT to say matters.
You listened to me.
So, I'm ready to listen to you.
What do you want to say?

I love your laugh.
I love your smile.
I love that you take time to breathe every once in a while.
I love that you want to help.
I love that you care.
I love that you don't get bothered if people stare.
I love that you're not afraid to treat yourself
To a cookie from the cookie jar
But most of all, I love that you're proud of who you are.

The air doesn't feel as heavy,
but it still hurts to breathe.
I think I'm going under,
but as much as I miss you,
I'm not ready to leave.
I can't tell you how I'm feeling
because I'm feeling everything and nothing
all the time. And as the days turn into years,
it seems like the only things that stay
are my fears. The fear that someday, I'll be OK without you. The fear that someday,
all that I'll have left of you
are love and memories.

I know it does, but hear me out.
What if...it doesn't matter? What if none of it mattered? The clothes you wear, how little or how much you care. The way you deal with stress and grief. Whether people see you as strong or weak. How you spend your money. How much you get paid. How and what you eat vs how much you weigh. Here's the thing: it doesn't have to matter. Because you decide who and what is important to you.

"what do you want?"
"I don't know."
"Yes you do. listen to your heart."
"how do I do that?"
"close your eyes and breathe. you'll hear voices. that's your heart talking. what does it say?"
"I don't understand. It says get better. feel better. but i'm not sick."
"what makes you so sure it's talking about you? listen closer. concentrate."
"it says it wants YOU to feel better. it wants you to stop blaming yourself. to feel happy. to be proud."

What do you do when you don't know what to say?
What do you do when your head tells you to stay but your heart says to walk away?
Who do you go to when things don't go your way?
Is it getting harder to get through the days?
Once you figure out the answers, there is only one question left to ask
What will you do differently today?

Today, I'm going to give you a chance
I never gave myself.
A chance to understand that you don't have to compare yourself to anyone else.
A chance to understand that you are enough, you've done enough, and you will do enough
to make your life worth living.
You may not feel like you deserve this chance. But you need it.

They say "time flies when you're having fun." But I don't remember having any fun.
And I know I'm not the only one.
I remember working. Fighting about money. But, for the life of me, I don't remember my kid being much bigger than a bunny.
I remember being stressed in great detail.
I even remember daydreaming
about getting a boat and sailing away.
But of all the things I wish I could remember,
I wish I knew where the time had gone.
Where my life had gone.

If you don't know, I can't tell you who you are.
I can't tell what you'll be
But I can tell you what I see.
When I look in your eyes,
I can see pain you've been trying to disguise.
I see you hoping you can find hope.
And when I look at your face,
I see someone who can never be replaced.
I can see you feel 100 years older
Because you've been carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.
Watching your chest move when you put your hand on your heart, that's proof you're human.
And if you want to find out who you are,
that's a good place to start.
In the end, it doesn't matter what I see.
All that matters is you find a way to love who you are
and look forward to who you'll be.

Whoever needs to hear it:
abuse is abuse no matter what kind.
Physical, mental, verbal, ******,
none of it is OK. It will never be OK.
Whoever needs to hear it:
men, women, non binary,
however you identify yourself,
just because you "can take it"
doesn't mean you should have to.
Whoever needs to hear it:
you didn't do anything to deserve it.
Whoever needs to hear it:
you have nothing to be ashamed of.
It's OK to ask for help.
And Whoever needs to hear it: you matter.

I ran from responsibility.
I ran from my fears.
And now, I'm running into your arms because you're here.

The winds of change are coming soon.
You can already see them starting to affect the moon.
The winds of change make the days shorter and nights colder.
Not that that's a bad thing.
It can make people want to be closer than shoulder to shoulder.
To the trees, the winds of change are like school bus drivers.
the breeze carries their leaves away, drops them safely on the ground, then returns them bright and new when spring rolls back around.
Change can be scary. But not all change is bad.
Just think of the pumpkins and cider and good times to be had.

I don't know where you are
And frankly, I don't care
Because the air tastes so much sweeter
Without you here.

Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words in a book can make you believe anything is real. Words can bring people together or tear them apart. It all depends on the kind of conversation you want to start.

I know. I've been holding on
to things I should let go of.
Lost memories. Lost life. Lost love.
But, as scary and painful as it can be
being lost in the past, knowing how evanescent the mind can be, a future without them somehow seems worse.

I know you like to be alone.
I know you like to do things on your own.
But some day, you're going to want a friend, so I was wondering,
Would you let me catch you
When you fall?
Would you let me be the one you'd call?
Would you let me help you end a fight?
Would you let me be the one
Who texts good night?
I know you don't want to rely on anyone,
But in the end,
Would you let me be your friend?

If you saw an x-ray of my heart,
I wonder where you'd even start.

If you don't think I'm trying, you're wrong.
At first, I was just trying to find somewhere I belong.
But somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted something more. Deserved something more.
Sometimes, we forget what's worth fighting for.
We forget who we are.
We forget it's okay to reach for the stars.
Sometimes, people need to be reminded that just because they can't see them, it doesn't mean we don't have scars.
But the truth is, everyone has scars in some way, shape, or form.
Proof that at one point, they were able to ride out a storm.
Everyone's journey is different.
But there are two things I know for sure.
We're all human, and you deserve more.

You don't have to wish you could be strong.
It takes courage to stay alive when you feel trapped and in pain.
You didn't know it,
but you've been strong all along.
You don't have to wish you could feel like you had somewhere to belong.
You're human.
You're in a club bigger than you could ever imagine.
So go ahead. Sing your song.
You don't have to be afraid you aren't enough.
You standing here proves you can push through when the going gets rough.
Bottom line, you don't have to think, wish, or be afraid of anything
Because you already are everything.

Time doesn't heal. You do.
Love doesn't conquer all.
But you can when you're ready.
And it's okay if you're not ready.
It takes time to be strong.
Don't be afraid to live young.
Because you won't be for long.

I need to get something off my chest.
When it comes to friends, there's no second best.
And when it comes to people I love,
every time I look at you i forget about the rest.
It's amazing how your words give me so much hope.
Like a street lamp guiding me home in the night.
And yet when I finally find the words I want to say,
I look at you and it's like I'm being hit with kryptonite.
I don't know what the future has in store, but as long as you're in my life, you make me ready for more.

How can I show you I care about more than just your looks or the clothes that you wear?
How can I make you understand all I need to be happy is to hold your hand?
I know guys hurt you in the past and it doesn't mean much when we say we're different; that we're going to last.
So I won't say any of that. I'll just keep on loving you until you love me too.
Even if that never happens, there's one thing I need to make sure is clear. Every day I spend with you makes me smile ear to ear

You may be wrong.
You may be right.
You may be crazy.
You may be big.
You may be small.
You may just be the smartest of them all.
You may be sad.
You may be bad.
You may be ****.
But what you are and always will be is you.
And when you become proud to be you,
There's almost nothing you can't do.

I need to say what's on my mind before I leave this life behind.
When I'm gone, please don't cry too much
I'll still be with you even if you can't feel my touch
I want to thank you for changing my life for the better.
You inspired me to be a better man.
And as I make my peace, just remember I will always be your biggest fan.

I'm sorry, but I'm not ready.
I'm not ready to love you.
To be with you.
To offer more of me
Than a hug or a kiss.
I know it may sound strange, but I'm not ready for the potential, perpetual bliss.
I'm not ready to take your hand, or get out on the floor and groove.
Maybe I will someday,
But until then, whether you stay or go, it's your move.

Soon, it will be time for you to take the stage.
You'll be born and your parents life will never be the same. Someday soon, you'll start to grow and grow and grow.
And even though they'll be excited,
sometimes you might hear them say they wish time would slow. There will be many questions you want answers to.
"Are we there yet?" "Why is the sky blue?"
Sometimes, they may not be able to tell you.
Someday, you'll want to rebel;
do things they tell you not to just to make them scream and yell. Someday, you'll tell them you hate them after having a fight.
The next day, you'll tell them you love them
by the time they tuck you in at night.
But it's important you know no matter what they say,
no matter what you do, your parents will always love you.

Where there is darkness there is light.
Where there is wrong there is right.
But where is it tonight?
Is it in the alley down the street?
Or is it right beneath our feet?
The truth is it's with you.
You can call upon this power
when you feel you are about to meet
your darkest and loneliest hours.
Whatever way it takes form, be it a friend movie or song,
if you let it, it will help you weather any storm.
Happiness can be achieved by all
when we find the courage to break down our walls.
It may make you vulnerable but that's okay.
Believe in your power and you will live to find another day.

Don't worry about where
you'll go in life
or how much you do.
You don't need that much pressure.
You're barely 22!
But if you are, it's okay.
Because I know you'll go far.
The key is to go with the flow
for as long as you can.
But some day you'll fall.
In more ways than one.
But you'll always get up
Because there's more work to be done.
But just because there's more work
Doesn't mean there has to be any less fun.
Sometimes, though, it may be hard to find.
Some days, all you'll want to do is run.
You won't care where.
You'll just want to go away.
But away is a scary place.
A place with no rules.
Of course, that's why some people stay.
Whatever you decide,
it's your decision to make.
And don't be embarrassed
when you make a mistake.
Because you don't know what you don't know.
And at first, you won't know a lot.
But you'll get there.
At least, I think you have a good shot. 😉

Whether you hide or stand out,
Whether you whisper or scream and shout,
If you want to, you can be found.
And if there days you feel you have no one
But your fears and your doubts,
Like you've looked everywhere but can't find a way out, if you want to, you can be found.
You will be found.