I am a person.

I am a person who has come so far.

I have fought in a war that involved no weapons

Only thoughts.

I have battled against evils that only existed in my mind.

And I know that I am not alone.

I know that there are others who are with me.

I know that there are others who fight these same fights everyday.

I know that these fights are not always won.

I know that we have lost so many soldiers to this war.

But they are not soldiers.

They are people with families and friends and dreams.

Once a bright light in the world

Now they are dead.

Forever extinguished and forgotten in the dark.

And everyday there are more who join them.

This war is made up of thousand and thousands of battles

All going on at the same time.

Everyday is a struggle and every smile is a fight that has been won.

Sometimes after winning a lot of fights it gets easier.

Not all at once but over time.

And when it gets easier it seems there are less battles to be won.

And when there are less battles to be won you can make a choice.

You can make a choice to live out your dreams.

You can make a choice to grow up to be whatever you want.

Or you can choose to help others win their fights. 

You can choose to be someone who fights along side your fellow soldiers.

You can choose to help teach them that they are not soldiers.

You can choose to help them learn that they are just people.

They are just people who never chose this life.

They are just people who don’t deserve to fight in this war.

But this is the life that they live

And this is the war that they will fight.

And when you get to the point where you have won your battles

You learn that both choices can be one and the same.

I have chosen to help.

I have chosen to end this war and stop the deaths.

Because no one should have to go through this alone.

We are all people.

We are all people who should not have to fight to be happy.

We are all people who deserve to live in this world.

And the reason why I am still here today is because I realized something.

I realized that even though I have been fighting this war

I am not a soldier. 

I am a person.