and on this bitter december evening

the smoke stained skies begin to pour.

you stare up at the ashen clouds with

eyes as   c o s m i c   as the stars

wondering how it must feel like to be so high above the ground;

your mother always told you that underneath your skin

lay a whole universe of beauty unknown --

but today, the galaxies within you are  S W A L L O W I N G  you whole.

 

as you listen to the roaring rhythm of the rain

you think back to how you’d always thought of rain as

the  -- t e a r s  o f  h e a v e n --

and tonight, it seems, the heavens are crying for you.

 

see, there’s this aching in your chest

that weighs you down to the ground

it almost makes you want to S C R E A M your heart out, it almost makes you want to S O B for hours --

almost.

 

you don’t scream. you don’t sob.

but instead, you swallow the misery,

you fight the pain;

you close your eyes as the rain splatters on your tear-stained face

and remind yourself that the universe

never gives you more than you can handle.

 

and you remind yourself that you are a  W A R R I O R

who refuses to surrender in this battle;

and you remind yourself that life? life goes on.

…………… and so will you.

 

see, you get it, you understand what it’s all about;

you know that this world, this life -- all of it is imperfect.

everything in your life, everything in your world

is just as flawed as you.

but that’s okay.

 

see, you know, you understand,

that happiness cannot exist without pain.

that you can’t see the beauty of sunshine without a little bit of rain.

that there’s truth to that old saying Pops always used to say:

"with every hardship, comes ease.”

 

see, you realize now, you accept

that hard old truth your Momma used to say

she’d say:

“oh darling, don’t you know? the world was DESIGNED to break your heart.

you just gotta accept that to survive the pain.”

 

and see, you appreciate all of it;

you appreciate the darkness,

for it teaches you to cherish the light.

you appreciate the sadness,

for it teaches you to spread happiness.

you appreciate the ones who leave you,

for they teach you how to love, properly and deeply.

 

so it’s true; there isn’t any way to sugarcoat it:

there will be dark days.

there will be days when the bad outweighs the good.

and there will be days when the pain becomes a bit too overwhelming to handle.

 

but it’s also true that this world is beautiful

and just as there are dark days, there are wonderful days.

there will be days when the good outweighs the bad.

and there will be days when happiness fills your heart and makes it whole again.

and that, to you, makes you realize

how beautiful, and incredibly a w e s o m e

this world and this life really is.

 

and so as the rain begins to come to an end

and the sun begins to peek out of the clouds

you stand up again, because the aching isn’t so heavy, anymore.

 

and as you look up at the infinite skies,

stare into the abysmal airs of beauty

you remind yourself that in the end?

things will be o k a y.