The Nights are long but Love is endless.

The sound of Solitude.
The smell of Paradise.
His.

Identity stripped.
One thing left.
Books.

(Words.
Poetry. )

Why did it take so long to notice only one letter stands between Live and Love ?

Time flies. Identical. Troubled.
But then Essentials spring.
Your moments won’t go wasted.
Happiness revealed.
Choice.

Who could have known the Life you’ll have to live ?
Bitter as it is.
Wonderful as He makes it.
You even dress in clothes you’ll never wear.
Touching the countless You(s), you’ll never be.
Don’t want to be.
So many things you don’t want anymore.

Harsh silences.
Blank words.
Lies.

Reality. Anytime.
You can’t work on illusions.
You can’t build on thin air.
You can’t.

(So why do Some try ?)

Love. Anytime.
But True Love.
True Growth.
True Sharing.

Now you know.
You do.

Oh the Nights are long.
But His love is endless.

In 2022
We have loved
We have lost
We have wept

We had Dreams
Then had none
Then had Hope

We chose to Believe
Decided to Trust
Accepted to Lose.

Said farewell to
Plans
People
Dreams.

Said
Hello Life,
I thought I knew
I didn’t.

We
Forgave Change.
Erased Lies.
Discarded Illusions.

We
Unlearned Love
Reshaped Days
Dug into our Limits.

Fought for Joy
Cried for Heartbreaks
Felt grateful for Friendship.

Praised Freedom.
Praised Laughter.
Praised Hope.

In 2022 Pain has made us Kinder.
May 2023 be guided by Love.

There was a Before.
A time spent wondering. Hours of burning candles and unanswered questions.

« Why » dancing on the walls.
Why can Lies dress as Truths ?
Why do the Words defeat the Actions ?
Why do we choose to Believe ?
(Because Hope is always noble)

There was a Before that still believed, an After that Knows.

(There will always be Those who make you stop believing.
Don’t let them.)

Here is the After when Life turns around and says « No. This is not how it works. So, what do you do ? ».
You wonder some more.
Could this be even better ?
Could your Dreams bow in front of Reality ?
Could Reality be harder but also, at the end of the road, calmer, the color of clear water. Its peaceful sound ?

That’s the thing with Afters. They’re unexpected.
Chances to unlearn and start again.
Only this time, Better.

In tune with your Heart, the rhythm of your Soul.
Both dancing, waltzing, rising above what used to be.
Flying above your former Self.
Unlocking doors you didn’t know were there.
Smiling to People you didn’t hope you’ll meet.

(And look, they’re smiling back.)

Close your eyes.
Breathe.
Trust the After.
You don’t know Better yet.

The last days were spent wandering. Roaming trough books and memories. Walking the old streets of past lives.

(One letter changes, past « loves »)

Marveling at how time flies and people change and wondering why they don’t always do so for the best. « But we take life as it is » the Kind Voice says, so you listen. You struggle, but you do.

Life is Change.

You have to rewrite your story.
Relentlessly.
Painfully.
Again and again.
Change the words, the genre, The End.
Some chapters are better than others.
Comedy, tragedy, poetry.
But then it’s the whole book that matters so look beyond the page. Do your best to write a new one. Don’t mind if you don’t. Sometimes the ink won’t flow.
Follow the Kind Voice and take Life as it is.
Again and again.

Read the old chapters written in the old streets.
Watch yourself grow.
Watch yourself fail
And most importantly watch yourself rise.
See, that person you were made it trough the last chapter. And the ones before.
They’ll make it trough this one.

Watch the shadows dance.
Hear the laughter vibrate.
Do you remember ?

Those stairs where you sang at midnight.
The bar where your heart so often held its breath.
(Will he be there ?)
The pavement where you sat debating life and love at sunset.
« Where will we be in 10 years ? »
Oh if you knew. It will be hard and joyful. Magic and painful. Imperfect, wonderful and mind-blowingly worth it.

Yes, even the bad chapters.
Especially the bad ones.

The last days were spent wandering, and then, suddenly, True Love arrived. With a tiny head full of dark hair and more joy than your heart could imagine.

Let the story rewrite itself and a splendid new chapter begin.

If two wolves are fighting inside you, the one who wins is the one you feed. So feed hope.

Feed love.
Feed joy.
Feed what keeps you afloat. Feed friendship, and passion, feed kindness and laughter, feed projects, feed dreams. feed curiosity.

Focus on the small flickers of light, on the kind words of a stranger, on everything that’s right. On those who choose to be there. As for those who don’t, let them craft their own journey. Pick their own fights. Feed their own wolves.

Don’t feed anger.
Don’t feed fear.
Don’t you ever feed resentment.
You deserve better than a constant reminder of how disappointing life can be.

That’s Life, she can’t do better.
Forgiver her.
There’s no happiness without falling. No gratitude without knowing, tasting, feeling, that things get hard.

You will be hurt. You will be wronged. You will be so violently let down you’ll hear your heart shatter.

It won’t be fair, it never is.
Yes.
You deserve better
(We all do.)
So go and grab Better by the hand. And hold it tight.
For yourself, for hope, for love, for a life led by courage.

It takes mountains of courage to face Pain without trying to cause any.
It’s only human to want it.
Fight the urge.
Don’t give in.
Don’t fall into the darkness.
Light is brighter to see.
Warmer to touch.