Dear Me,
This is You.
Get up.

Push yourself off of rock bottom
And stand.
Stand as if the mere act of aligning your skeleton
In the upright position
Is the first step to defying the demons
Whose names are: Fear, Doubt, and Hate.
They say you aren’t worthy enough to even breathe.

So, breathe.
Inhale and exhale.
The air enters your lungs
And you are renewed.

Now, step forward.
If a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step
Then your entire universe hangs on this
One moment.

That one step will become two, three, four, more
Because once you gain the momentum
You’ll be leaping, sprinting so fast
That you’ll burst into flames
Like a phoenix rising from its ashes -
You can leave your mistakes behind.

Dear Me,
Once you take off
You’ll never want to come down.
You’ll never need to because
Your faithful friends and family
Will fuel your flight of glory
With the precious gifts of love and time;
You are not alone.

Now, smile.
Because the one thing that is most beautiful
In a world full of photoshopped paradise
Is someone who can be happy
With an imperfect life.
Someone who can be happy
Without looking forward to the
Next episode, the next Friday.

Dear Me,
Teach this by example.
Lift your brothers and sisters’ eyes up
From the glare of screens
To the sky
And shine.
Because once they see you
Your fire will light a match
And ignite their hearts.

Dear Me,
Your future is bright:
But only if you make it so.
Destiny is knocking...

Dear Me,
Get up.
And open the door.

Yours truly,
You.