You exist.

I just want you to know, you are wonderful. I'm so glad you're in the world.

Occupy.

Stand up. Speak out. Stay warm.

The wishing well.

Do wishes really not come true if you tell someone what you wished for? Where did that superstition come from? Did someone make a wish, keep it a secret, and it came true? I wonder if wishes you tell people come true.

It seems more likely to me that if you tell people what you wished for, it would come true. The more you talk about it, write it down, think about it, the more likely it is you'll be focused on what you wish, and you'll make it come true.

Right?

A big house.

I wish I had a big house where we all could live. One day I will. And whenever you have nowhere to go, and you're scared, you can come stay with me. You can stay forever, if you want.

Our tragedy.

I can't tell you to appreciate what you have. You've never been without it, how would you ever be able to understand its value?

I can't tell you that it's possible to miss something you've never had. There's nothing you've never had that hurts so much it's like a hole in your heart. You've never been nostalgic for places you've never been, and you've never missed people you've never known.

You will never understand, and that is your tragedy. But I can't know what it's like not to understand, and that is mine.

Money, love, and freedom.

I wish we could all get paid to do something we love and would do for free.

Secrets, again.

I hope that all your secrets are wonderful things, that you can't wait to tell the world, and is hard for you not to say.

I hope you don't have any dark secrets or sad news secrets.

Mostly, I hope you don't have to keep any secrets.

Patience.

I'm not very patient. I don't know how to be. And the closer I get to whatever I'm impatient about, the less patient I get.

I hope you have patience. It makes waiting far more bearable.

Mistakes.

It's ok to make mistakes, as long as you grow and learn from them. Some people never will. Don't get angry about it. Smile to yourself and think, how much I'll grow, and how much they'll never know.

Wish.

If I had only one wish, I would wish for more wishes. And if I couldn't wish for more wishes, I'd wish for the ability to grant an infinite amount of wishes to other people. And if I couldn't wish for that either, I'd wish for a cessation of all suffering for the rest of forever and backdated to the beginning of time.

Trust.

"You can tell me anything," people say. "I won't judge you. I won't think any differently of you. You can trust me."

But people are people. And they can't know what they'll do or how they'll react.

Home.

I want to go home.

The texture.

I want to take off my shoes and walk on the grass. I want to walk barefoot on the sandy beaches. I want to walk into the ocean and never walk back.

Beautiful and ugly.

Life is beautiful and life is ugly.

Secrets.

I hate keeping secrets from you.

Marionette.

Sometimes I wish I was a marionette, a puppet on strings. And never have to be in control or make my own decisions again. Life is full of tough choices, and I don't want to face them.

Hopscotch.

Did you ever play hopscotch when you were a kid?

Whistle.

Teach me how to whistle.

Share.

If only we could all learn to share, I think we'd make a huge step towards making the world a better place.

Answers.

I wish there were always answers. I wish the right choice was always obvious.

So shine in this weary world.

I hope one day someone is nice to you, and helps you out, for no other reason than that they have compassion and want to do something good in this weary world.

Don't get your hopes up.

Try not to get your hopes up.

I know, it's easier said than done. But seriously, getting your hopes up just leads to disappointment and hurt.

The meant-to.

I meant to say something more to you. I meant to hold onto you for longer. I meant to hold your hand. I meant to take you to fly kites with me. I meant to play chess with you. I meant to call you spontaneously, or show up at your door. I meant to give you a gift. I meant to read you a story. I meant to do so many things, and now we're out of time.

If you mean to do something, do it. We don't have much time.

The things you don't want to do.

Sometimes you have to do things you don't want to do. And I'm sorry about that. But just remember, it won't be like this forever.

Songs and smiles.

Listen to the songs that make you smile today.

Help.

Help those in need. You never know when you'll be on the other side, and be the one who needs help.

Hope.

It's so easy to lose hope, and so hard to get it back again. Hold onto hope, with everything you have left.

The far away and the close by.

It's the people you love who feel so far away. It's the people who you wish you never met that always feel so close by. Why is that?

Music.

Someone said this before I did, but it's true, so I'll say it again:

Music is the only thing that makes sense anymore.

The differences.

Sometimes I think we're so much the same. We all laugh, cry. We all need shelter, food, water. Love. We all want for nothing bad to happen to us.

And sometimes I think, we're so different. We have such different reasons for laughing or crying. We have such different experiences that we cannot connect, ever. And that's what makes the bad things happen in this world.

Summer and autumn.

I can't believe the summer's fading. I can taste the chill of goodbye in the air. Autumn approaches, bringing with her the tears of the ending of things.

I want to thank you, so much.

I would not be where I am today if I had not had a single person help me along the way. And I don't mean big help. It's the little things that made the most difference. Just saying, "You're smart, well-read, and you're going places." Just saying, "You're worth so much more than you know."

Or just holding my hand. Going on an adventure with me. Giving me a place to stay. You'll never know what you have done to alter the course of my life for the better. But I want you to know that you have, and I am so grateful. I want you to know that you changed this world for the better. Yes, you.

Tell me a joke.

Tell me a joke. I want a reason to laugh again.

Life and worth living.

Goodbyes almost make you want to to avoid love. When you love someone, it hurts when you have to part ways. It hurts so much, the pain doesn't seem worth living through.

But a life without love is unquestionably a life not worth living through.

The bitterness.

Don't ever let what you've been through make you bitter. If you've made it through what you've made it through, I'm happy. I'm glad you're that strong. But do not look at the people who are struggling and can't climb to where you are, and tell them, "I made it. So can you."

Not everyone is you.

The memories.

Happy memories hurt far more than sad ones do. Happy memories hurt even more than scary memories. You wake up from nightmares and realize you're safe now. But you wake up from a dream of a happy memory, and you realize that time has gone. And you won't ever get it back.

The worst part.

I hate goodbyes. Let's never say goodbye. I miss you already and it hurts.

It's what you don't have.

It's what you don't have that hurts the most.

They set cities on fire.

Sometimes I want to write a letter to people who hurt other people, who make bad choices, who hate. But then I realize, they would never read it. They set cities on fire, what's a piece of paper?

Robots.

Remember the robots on rooftops? And you said, "I want to see a zombie-robot war." And I said, "I don't want to see war anymore." And you said, "I love you." Remember?

Time.

Where did the time go? How is it that my feet are so far away? Let's go backwards, let's stop time. I'm afraid of the summer ending.

Specific place.

I don't want to be in any specific place. I just want to be with you.

Wake up, you're safe.

I hope that you have someone in your life who will wake you up when you're having a nightmare.

Believing in.

What do I believe in? I believe in music. I believe in love. I believe in flying kites and saying no and saying yes and I believe in you.

I don't have the words.

I want to tell you a story, but I don't have the words.

To be born again, first you have to die.

I love you, and I will never forget you. But sometimes people just have to run away, disappear, start over, make a new beginning. You may never understand, and I hope you never have to.

Someplace safe.

Can I tell you a secret? Can I leave a secret in your lunch box letter today?

I don't want anymore adventures. I just want to be someplace safe.

Empty houses.

There shouldn't be empty houses when people have no homes.

What I can give you.

If I had a house, I'd let anyone live with me who needed a safe, warm place. If I had a car, I'd drive you wherever you needed to go. If I had money, I'd buy you whatever you needed.

But I don't have these things. I can give you a hug, I can give you my ears and listen to whatever you need to say. I can give you love.

The shape of those words.

I wanted to tell you I love you, but I couldn't remember the shape of those words. So I didn't say anything when I walked out of your life forever.

I wonder if you'd want to know me, now, so many years away from then.

Fairy tales and candles.

Let's light candles and read fairy tales.

Peter Pan

When I first read Peter Pan, I was so distraught at the end. Why did the kids leave Neverland and go back to this sad, terrible world? I would've stayed in Neverland.

Why didn't Peter Pan come to my window?

Where have you been?

I haven't seen you for a while. We haven't talked. Where have you been? I miss you.

Bad dreams and stories.

If I have a bad dream, and I can't go back to sleep, can I wake you up, and would you tell me a story?

Pinata.

I've never experienced a pinata before. I'm not sure it sounds very happy. I mean, let's build a beautiful, colorful, pinata and put happy, wonderful things inside of it and then... we beat it with sticks?

Maybe if we made a Death Star pinata, or a Voldemort pinata, then it would be ok.

Paper and string.

All we need is paper and string. Let's make kites and go fly them.

Jokes.

What's your favorite joke? I wish I could always tell you funny stories and anecdotes and make you laugh and cheer you up when you are sad.

I'm sorry though, I don't know any jokes.

Wanderlust.

What happened to that list of places you wanted to travel to? Where did your sense of wanderlust go? Let's just go. Let's leave tomorrow.

A story about friendship.

Once upon a time, everyone was friends with everyone else. And no one fought. There were no arguments, no fights. There wasn't any hate between people. Everyone got along, and they held hands and sang songs and told each other stories.

But one day everything changed. A shadow came over the land, and darkness filled the hearts of the people. People started keeping secrets, fighting with each other, and people stopped being friends with everyone.

Now people aren't friends with everyone. There are fights and arguments, people betray and hurt others. Friendships die. And because this isn't a fairy tale, but real life, that's the way things will stay until people decide to live differently than they are.

Explore.

Let's go exploring!

My plan for today.

Let's go play on the swings. And if it rains, let's go dance in the storm.

Bicycles and lemonade stands.

Let's ride bicycles through town and get lemonade at the stand at the corner. Let's sit on the sidewalk and guess at the stories of the people who pass by. Let's make today last forever.

We make this world.

We make this world. Yes, we do, all of us. You and me, and all of our friends. So let's make it better.

Which path?

Who do you turn to when you need advice? What helps you decide on a direction? Have you ever felt completely torn, with a whole array of possible paths before you?

Thoughts of summer.

What makes you think of summer? For me, it's music and peppers and thunderstorms and swing sets and dandelions. It's bonfires and peaches and blue skies and bird songs. It's porch swings and friends and laughter and stories.

The parts to remember.

Remember the best parts. Forget about the parts that hurt.

Let's go.

If I wanted to leave today, would you leave with me?

Imaginaryland

Let's just run away and live in Imaginaryland.

Music in the streets.

Let's make music in the streets.

I wish we were with us.

I wish we were with us, together, in the same place. But let's not waste time wishing that. Let's just remember the times that we were.

Don't worry about the letting go.

Don't waste time worrying about what you'll have to let go. Just be happy for what you have, while you have it.

Spontaneous adventure.

I hope one day you have the opportunity to go off on a spontaneous adventure. Don't hesitate. Don't look back.

Sunrise.

Let's go outside and stay up talking until sunrise.

The anger.

It's scary when people get angry. So I hope no one ever gets angry with you.

The greed monster.

Once upon a time there were houses for everyone. And no one was ever too cold, and no one ever froze to death in the streets. There were houses for everyone. And there was no one left out, and there was plenty of food. And everyone shared. Everyone had a place to call home.

And then one day a monster started eating all the houses and the food and even some of the people. The monster wanted everything for himself. And the people in this land had to fight, and they killed the monster. But the monster's spirit lived on and it lived inside of the spirits of the people. And people didn't want to share anymore. People didn't want everyone to be taken care of. People wanted more for themselves, and more than anyone else had, and they didn't want to share.

And the spirit of that monster lives inside of most people these days. Try to fight the greed monster. And maybe one day, everyone will be warm and safe again.

The movies.

I hope that if you go to the movies, even if it's an awful movie, you're with awesome friends.

Candlelight and music.

And we lit candles and listened to music on vinyl and all was well in the world.

Coconuts.

Remember Coconut Night?

Safe place with no bad dreams.

I hope you always have a safe place to sleep at night. And I hope you never have bad dreams.

The worry.

I hope no one has to worry about you.

A game of chess and souls.

Once upon a time there was a traveler who met a man in black a little off the crossroads, under a tree. And the weary traveler asked the man if he might sit by him in the shade beneath the tree.

The man said, "Of course. Have a seat. Rest." And the weary traveler sat down under the tree. The man in black said, "Tell me, traveler, what is it you want most in this world?"

"I want a home, a place to stay and rest forever," said the weary traveler. "Ask a man in the desert what he wants, he'll say water. Ask a prisoner, he'll say freedom. Ask a traveler, and he will say permanence and home."

"Tell you what," said the man in black, and he pulled out a chess board from a satchel. "Let's play a game of chess. And if you win, all that you dream of will come true."

"And if I lose?" asked the weary traveler.

The man in black smiled and his eyes seemed to grow darker. "Then you lose your soul."

There are monsters.

I wish I could be there to tell you that there are no monsters, that you're safe, and all the doors are locked, and that nothing bad will ever happen again.

But I realize, even if I was there, I couldn't tell you there are no monsters. Because there are. And I can't say you're safe, when you might not be. And I can't tell you that nothing bad will ever happen again, because we both know that isn't true.

Over.

One day, one day this will all be over. This will be a part of the past, just something that happened that is over now. So don't worry. It won't be forever. It will not be forever.

Sing.

Sing me a song.

Yesterday, a thousand years ago.

I can't believe it's already today. I can't believe time has flown by so fast. It seems like we met yesterday. It seems like we met a thousand years ago.

Butterfly wishes.

We saw a butterfly soaring over us and flying around us. I told you, "Make a wish." What did you wish for?

The rocks.

And we climbed up the rocks by the falls and listened to the sound of the rushing water. And all was well in the world.

Please, believe this.

You are not worthless.

The storytime.

I want to remember that moment forever. We lit candles and we sat around in a circle and we stayed up into the morning telling each other stories. I want to remember the sounds of your voices.

Climb.

Let's climb mountains.

The deserve.

You deserve a wonderful life.

The music that night.

Remember the music we listened to that night? And how every song seemed to fit perfectly?

Let's go fly a kite.

I want to fly kites with you.

The world of butterflies.

We stayed up talking that night talking about the world we could make. It would be warm and safe and only wonderful things would ever happen. We would live in rainbow trees. No one would ever be hungry or cold. There would be water for everyone and no more wars.

It will only ever rain the kind of rain you can dance in. There will only ever be snow that's fun to play in. And it will vanish the moment you need it to be sunflower warm.

"And whenever anyone tries to hurt someone else, they'll just vanish in a magic moment and turn into a butterfly," I added.

"A butterfly?"

"Yes," I said. "Butterflies don't hurt anyone. They will fly away and be enchanting and live with flowers."

"Yes," she said, and thought for a minute. We were quiet. And then she sighed and she shook her head and she said, "It would be a world of butterflies."

There for you.

I wish I was there to hold your hand through this.

That's all.

Be safe.

The beauty and the hurt.

The truth is, sometimes nothing is beautiful and everything hurts. But the truth is also that these moments will pass. It's just hard to live through them.

The truth is, there is no place where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts.

But there are moments where everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. And those are the moments we hold onto. Those are the moments we live for.

Have a cup of cheer.

Do your friends cheer you up when you ask them to?

Sometimes I need cheering up. So I ask my friends to tell me jokes or funny anecdotes or stories. And mostly, they'll always tell me something that makes me smile. I hope you have that in your life.

Have a cup of cheer.

The allergies.

You know what? I hope you never have to experience allergies. It really is very unpleasant. I'd rather have the flu, because at least that doesn't last for months on end.

So yes, I hope you're fortunate enough to never experience allergies.

The strong.

I know you're strong. I just wish you didn't have to be so strong all the time. I wish you didn't have all these obstacles and challenges and disasters in your life that make you have to always stay so strong.

I wish I could take all of that away, and that the rest of your life would be easy.

The secrets.

Sometimes it's really difficult to say I do not want to talk about it.

I hope you're strong enough to say it when you need to.

I'm glad you're here.

I hope you have someone in your life who tells you, "I'm glad you were born. I'm glad you're in the world. I'm glad to know you."

I'm glad you're here.

The worst of times.

Some things that are broken can't be mended. And it hurts. Sometimes goodbyes are forever. Sometimes houses burn to the ground and nothing is left but ashes. Sometimes storms come and they can't be weathered, and everything is gone. Sometimes there's nowhere to turn, and no one who cares.

I hope you hold onto hope, even in the worst of times. I love you.

I think of you.

I think of you when I hear stories being read aloud.

I think of you when I see someone laughing. And someone crying.

I think of you when I see bicycles. I think of you when I see kites flying.

I think of you when I see libraries. And bookstores.

I think of you when I hear certain songs.

I think of you when I'm happy. I think of you when I'm sad.

I think of you a lot.

Disney songs.

Remember when we sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs when we went hiking? Yeah, me too. That was a good day.

Give away books.

Never lend books. Give them away. Share the love.

The keys.

I hope you don't lose your keys. I hate when that happens. I love you!

Everyone has a story.

Think about how many people you interact with on a daily basis. Every single one of them is a real, live person, with hopes and fears, with dreams, and with secrets. Even when people seem to be mean or angry, and you just want to throw a custard pie in their face, remember that they might just be having a terrible day.

You never know what's going on in someone's life.

Remember, everyone has a story.

For someone you love.

Today's letter is a quote from a book called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

I hope one day you have the experience of doing something you don't understand for someone you love.

Because I hope that for you.

Toothpaste.

I hope you never have to steal toothpaste. Or food, or shoes, or anything. I hope you always have the things you need.

I love you.

The three words.

I believe you.

Live lightly.

Learn to laugh at yourself. Especially when you feel the least like laughing.

An hour late and a dollar short.

Sometimes it will seem like you're always coming up an hour late and a dollar short. Those moments will pass. Hold onto the times that matter. And never lose hope.

To not get hurt.

To try to not get hurt is to try to not live.

The different.

I'd rather be different.

Better than a letter.

I'm sending you a hug today, instead of a letter.

You're my home.

I was trying to write a letter to you telling you how much you meant to me. I couldn't find the right words. I tried again, and this is what I wrote:

There are books I've read because you read them. There are songs I love because you listen to them. There are places I want to visit because you've been there.

I feel safe when you're singing. I feel happy when you're holding my hand. I miss you.

You're the one I think of when I think, "I want to go home."

I'm so glad we met.

Thank you for choosing to be here, in this place at the same time that I chose to be here in this place. It startles me how easily we could have missed each other. I'm so glad we met.

My life is very different because you're in it.

I think you're amazing.

I know that all that I say to you has probably been said better by someone else. But I want you to know that I think you're amazing and I'm glad to have been lucky enough to be part of your story.

I will never forget you. Stay wonderful.

The challenges.

Challenge yourself. Accept tasks you know you'll have to work hard to accomplish. Look at things in new ways.

Try to get to know people you don't think you'll get along with; and try to become friends with them.

Learn about something you're scared of, or something that makes you uncomfortable. Learn as much as you can about the perspective that you believe is wrong.

Challenge yourself; don't sit comfortably back in your cozy life with cozy values and cozy songs. Listen to music genres that you don't like. Try new foods. Go somewhere you're scared of going.

See how much you'll learn and grow. Challenges make life fun and fascinating.

I hope your life is fantastic.

And so, to everyone I interact with, every day, I tell them, with sincerity in my voice, "I hope that your day is spectacular." And I mean everyone. The person who rings up my groceries, the customer service representative, the bus driver, the postal worker, the librarian. I thank them, and tell them that I hope, truly hope, that their day is wonderful. Because I really do hope for that.

I hope your life is spectacular.

The music we can make.

Let's make music that dances.

Connect the stars.

I name my own constellations. Why remember someone else's interpretation of the stars, when you can make your own?

My favorite is the Crooked Smile constellation.

There are no lines.

Color outside the lines.

See the unicorns.

We picked up sticks we found in the woods and pretended they were magic wands. We were sorcerers, battling our way across treacherous bridges, past trolls and dragons and all sorts of fearsome beasts and monsters.

And to grown-ups who might've seen us, we were just a few kids running around the grass and through the trees.

To a grown-up, the world is a place where there are no unicorns. A tree is a tree, a house is a house.

To a child, the world is infinite opportunities. A tree could be alive, with fairies living in it, or the portal to another land. A house could be a castle, or a starship, or anything at all. And of course there are unicorns.

See the unicorns in the world. And never stop seeing, never stop make-believing.

New and wonderful.

Don't let fear keep you from learning something new and wonderful.

The soul friends.

The word means "soul friend." It's deeper than friendship. But forget the Hollywood "soulmate," "true love" garbage. No, this is a "soul friend."

A friend with whom you share your soul.

Do you have any friends like that?

The mermaid and the princess.

Once upon a time there was a mermaid who wanted to walk on two legs into the world. And so she did, and she lived with a human princess who gave her a home and holidays and loved her very much.

But the mermaid didn't want to be merely human. She wanted to return to her home in the sea, she wanted to be a mermaid again. No love was worth giving up her home.

But the human princess loved the mermaid so much, that it broke her heart when she found the note the mermaid had left. So the human princess found a sorcerer who turned her into a mermaid too. And she followed her beloved mermaid into the sea.

And they lived happily ever after.

The wishes we make.

Wish on everything. Wish on stars, and butterflies. Wish on snowflakes and falling autumn leaves. The first buds of spring, the first summer storm. Wish on lightning, wish on candles.

Make a wish.

Without words.

We found each other's eyes and smiled, remembering, together, without words.

The right words.

I wish we would always have the right words to say. I wish our fears and insecurities would stop getting in the way.

The prince and the lonely giant.

There once was an ugly giant was very lonely. He had avoided being around people for a long time, because people were afraid of things they didn't understand. They were afraid because the giant was so hideous in appearance, and looked so different from them. So people would, at best, make fun of him, and at worst, they would try to kill him.

So the giant lived on top of a mountain, all alone. He loved to make music. He played the piano and the cello. And he loved to read books. He also grew a garden and learned many delicious recipes.

A prince who wanted to be a hero, had heard that a vicious, murderous giant lived on that mountain. And he climbed the mountain to confront the beast. But instead of a fearsome, violent monster, he found an unfortunate-looking giant making the most enchanting music on a cello.

The prince saw that the ugly giant had a beautiful soul. And the prince and the giant became friends, and then best friends. And then they fell in love with each other and lived happily ever after.

Take a minute.

Take this time to smile. Take a minute to remember what makes it all worth it. Dance, breathe, laugh, run, hug.

The people who don't leave.

There are people who come into your life and never leave. You may never see them again, you might not even know their name. Or maybe you know their name, and their secrets, and their story, but you might not always be with them, or be able to see them again.

They might go away, or you might go away. But the people are still with you. The things they've said will remain; you'll still carry their voices. You'll have their smiles, and the remnant of a hug. These people do not leave.

They are still with you, and always will be.

The tomorrow.

It's ok. Tomorrow will still be here. The sun will rise and set. This is not the end of all things. Just breathe.

The bittersweet.

Let me hold your hand again. Let me hug you one last time. I want to remember this. I want to remember your face, and the shape of your hand. I want to remember the fabric of your clothes, and the way your hair falls. I want to remember every color in your eyes, and I want to remember the sound of your voice.

I don't want to go.

Home is right here.

"I want to go home."

What does that mean? Home. Is it a house, a physical building, of wood and plaster? Is it a place, a town, a geographical location with a longitude and latitude? Is it the people there, is it family?

Is it a season? Is it a sound, a smell, a type of tree? Is it certain types of food? Is it a particular song, or a type of music?

Home. Home is the places I feel safe. Home is the people I love. Home is you, but not just being with you. I'll take you with me wherever I go.

Home is right here, with me, always.

Turn the page.

To be born again, first you have to die.

Our time here is ending. It's over. And all that means is that there's a new beginning just waiting to happen. A fresh start, new adventures. New places to go, new friends to make, new worlds to save.

We're not closing the whole book; we're just turning this page.

All that matters.

Life is beautiful. You have more than you realize. You are luckier than you can ever understand. Give love, give, give, give. In the end, all that matters is the good impacts you've made. That's all. So forget yourself. Help others. Reach out. Make the world a better place while you're in it.

Listen: I miss you.

"I miss you," I keep saying. And even though you hear me say that, you are not listening.

I'm saying that I love you. I'm saying that I miss the way things were. I miss the beginning, I miss the middle parts. And I'm afraid of the end.

The falling.

It is ok to fall. You just have to remember to get back up.

You'll be right here.

I wondered where you went. And then I realized you were right where you said you'd be; right here, inside my heart.

The three trees.

Once, you told me, there were three trees. And one tree grew tall, tall, tall to the sky. It was far away from the other two trees, making friends with clouds. And one tree grew big around, stretching and taking up so much space that it would take a whole year to walk all the way around it.

The other tree grew to an average height, just tall enough to see far and wide, andit was an average length around, just wide enough around to be huggable, and had an average amount of limbs; just enough limbs to make it wonderful to climb. It wasn't taller or stronger or bigger than the others. It was an average tree, but it was the best tree.

You said: "Sometimes, just average, is more than enough. Sometimes 'just average' is perfect."

The flight.

And sometimes she just wanted to fly away into that blue forever.

...and sometimes, she wanted to stay in her tree.

The ephemeral.

Nothing is permanent. We only have the illusion of permanence. That's why it's so important to hold onto who we have in our lives, for as long as we have them.

The promises no one can make.

I wish I could tell you that you're safe now, that nothing bad will ever happen to you ever again. I wish I could promise that to you.

But I don't know that for certain. No one does. But, I really hope you're safe now. And I really hope that nothing bad will ever happen to you again.

Stay strong.

Hold on.

Hold on. Please, please hold on. You are so much more than all of these things. You are so much more than this. I know it hurts, but please, hold on.

There are too many goodbyes.

I wish we had more time. I wish we'd met a thousand years ago. But sometimes I wish we hadn't met at all.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm glad to have known you, but I hate that I have to let you go. There are too many goodbyes.

What I'm trying to say is, I'm going to miss you.

The sweet life.

Life is short, make it sweet.

The hundred lifetimes.

If I had a hundred lifetimes, I'd want to spend all of them with you.

The books that connect us.

Whenever I buy a used book, it makes me wonder. Who read this before me? How many people read this? Did the owner of this book let other people borrow it? What did they think about it? Did it reflect their lives in any way?

And then I wonder who else in my life may have read this, and how old they were, and how it impacted their life. We take away pieces of the things we read, and I wonder, for the people in my life, what those pieces are.

I want to know. Books connect us to each other.

The stories.

I hope you have people in your life who will tell you stories when you ask for them.

The success.

I hope you are met with success in all your endeavors.

The Sandman.

I hope the Sandman is kind to you. May your dreams be happy.

The safety mechanism.

We are so much more than all of our fears. But sometimes the fear keeps us safe, keeps us from making decisions that would hurt us. So I suppose, in this place, in this time, fear is the best safety mechanism we've got.

Think of some place or time.

I want to remember that day by the stream, on those rocks. I told you about my nightmares.

You told me, "Close your eyes." I closed my eyes. You told me, "Just listen." I heard the water rushing over the rocks, I heard peace. I heard the wind in the trees and the constant sound of the water. The sound of nothing bad ever happening.

I opened my eyes and you smiled and told me, "Think of that whenever you wake up from your nightmares."

I hope you never have bad dreams. I hope that whenever you wake up alone and afraid with no one there to comfort you, that you have a memory of a place or a time where you felt safe. And I hope then, that you aren't scared anymore.

Sweet dreams.

I will think no less of you.

And if you don't feel strong enough, I will think no less of you. No one can be so brave and so strong all the time.

I will think no less of you if you feel like you can't go on, if you're hurting too much. Just reach out, tell someone. Ask for help. No one will think less of you. I would think you're a hero, if you would reach out, and let someone in.

You're brave, but you don't have to go through this alone.

All is well.

I hope all is well in your world.

The strength in compassion.

You have to be able to stand before you can help others to their feet.

The people you meet.

Be kind to the people you meet.

The moments worth reliving.

I hope you have a day that is so wondrous, you just want to re-live it all over again without changing a thing.

All the answers you need.

All the answers you need are already within you.

Be kind to the world.

Help someone today. Be nice to everyone you meet. Be kind the world, it's the only one we have.

The place you were.

Come back here, to the place you once were, inside my heart.

Thunder dance.

It's such a beautiful storm. It's danger and magic and light. Can you hear the thunder song? Let's dance in the rain.

The people who share this space.

I wonder who saw this, on this day, and thought it was beautiful too. I wonder how time has changed this place, and what it looked like a hundred years ago, or a thousand years ago. Who was here? Who shared this place with me, across all that time?

I want to make up stories about the people who walked here, climbed the trees here. The people who shared this bench.

I bet they all played in the piles of leaves.

Only good kind wonderful things.

I love you. I really do. I hope you're always warm & safe & dry and that only good kind wonderful things ever happen to you for the rest of forever.

The home.

Home isn't a place. Home is love. It's a group of people who love each other.

We are so much more.

We are so much more than anything that has ever happened to us. We are more than our fears, than the hate, than any mistake. We choose who we are, and everyone can change.

You are not a lost cause, or beyond hope. No one ever is.

The story.

"Tell me a story," she said.

"About what?"

"It doesn't matter, as long as it ends with: And the two princesses lived happily ever after. The end."

The grow-up together friends.

I wish I'd grown up together with you. There's so much we missed out on in each other's lives.

Let's stay together now, so we can grow up together from this point on.

Peace.

Dear world,

Find peace.

The safe home.

Did anyone teach you to ride a bicycle when you were a kid? Did someone teach you how to whistle?

Did someone tell you stories? Did someone sing you lullabies? Did you have someone who would make you feel safe if you woke up from a nightmare as a child?

I hope, growing up, that you had a safe home, stories, and lullabies.

The reading.

I want to read to you. I want to be read to. Let's read to each other some time.

A new beginning means something has to end.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow, but I don't want it to ever actually get here. Because that means it will end, too, and I'm not looking forward to that part.

I hope that's what today and tomorrow are like for you, too.

You are more powerful than you know.

I know you've been hurt. But whatever happened has no power over you, except for the power that you give it. You are more powerful than anything that has ever happened to you.

The possible.

To change the world, you have to believe it is possible.

No, nothing will ever change when you keep saying, "We can't. It's impossible."

Let me tell you a secret. We can, and it is possible. The only obstacle we have to overcome is ourselves.

The unspoken.

We should say what we want to say. What we leave unspoken could change our lives. It's scary, I know. But say how you feel, say what you think.

What's the worst that can happen? So what if they don't feel the same way, or agree with what you're thinking. At least now, you know.

Life is too short not to say the things worth saying.

The songs we listen to.

I want to hear the song that you're listening to. I'd rather listen to one song, together with you, than have each one of us listen to a hundred different songs, and never ever meet.

We are the same.

We are the same, you and me. We all bleed, and have fears. We all dream. We all want love, and happiness, and safety. And we can be at peace with each other. Please, please, let's make it happen.

The simple life.

Let's hold hands, and fly kites, and skip through wildflowers.

Sometimes, I wish life could be that simple. Sometimes it can.

Be brave.

Most of us are too scared to say the things worth saying. What's holding us back? We only have so much time to say these things.

Be brave. Use your voice.

Learn to want exactly what you have.

I read a story, a parable once, and I'm going to relay it to you.

I was walking past a homeless man one day, who had nothing to his name save for the clothes on his back and the cane in his hand.
I stood in front of him, he was sitting on the ground, and I asked him, "How can I help you? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Yes," he said. "You can move, please. You're blocking the sun."

Learn to want exactly what you have, and you will never be unhappy.

This is true.

Why is it that the bad stuff is so much easier to believe? You're beautiful. You have such a beautiful soul, and you can do such wonderful things in this world. You're stronger than you know.

I want to write this in the clouds and with the stars and on every sign you pass by every day. And one day, I hope you understand that this is true.

The dance floor.

Do something that you wouldn't normally do today. Be courageous, and get out there on the dance floor.

I'm glad you're in the world.

Tell the people you care about how much they mean to you, and how glad you are that they are in your life. It may mean more to them than you will ever know.

Just so you know, I'm glad you're in the world.

The safe world.

I wish for us to never be afraid. It isn't that I wish we were strong, or wish we were brave all the time. I just wish we didn't have anything to be afraid of. I wish this world to be safe for everyone.

The good things we don't notice.

It's so easy to notice the bad things. It's so easy to point out all that's going wrong. Why is it so easy to miss all the good stuff?

Learn to pay attention to all that is amazing in your life. Appreciate all that you are fortunate enough to have. You are so lucky. Know it.

I challenge you to pay attention to only the good things, even for just one week, one hour, one day.

The safety net.

Don't fall. Refuse to fall. But if you must fall, I hope you have a safety net to catch you.

I hope you are happy.

I hope you are happy right now, in this moment. I hope you are spending time with the people you love.

Let's walk together.

I want to challenge you to share your troubles. You don't have to carry them alone. Open up. Talk to someone. Reach out. Get help. There is a whole world out there, and yes the whole world has troubles. But if we share them, we can learn from each other, help one another.

We don't have to face these battles alone. We don't have to go through this all alone. Let's help each other. Let's walk together.

You are more rich than you know.

Do you want to know how rich you are? Just count all of the things you have that money can't buy.

Are you ok?

I hope you have someone in your life who will ask if you are ok. And I hope you have the courage to give them an honest answer.

Today is all we have.

Live a wonderful life. No regrets; the past is past. Today is all we have for certain, so make it spectacular.

No matter what.

I hope you have people in your life who love you, and will love you no matter what.

I hope these words will find their way to you.

I wish for your happiness and safety every single day. I leave little notes on dollar bills and in books, and on the bus, and in windowsills, hoping that these words will find their way to you. (Yes, you.)

It won't be forever.

Nothing lasts forever. Not even your troubles.

Every kindness matters.

You are never worthless. Never, ever, ever. Don't let the world make you feel that way. And every single act of kindness matters, no matter how small.

Please stay safe.

I hope that you never have anything to be afraid of. Please stay safe.

I love you.

Don't wait until you have nothing left to lose. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you. Hold on tight to what you have.

And don't wait until another day, don't hope for a chance sometime in the future. Now is all we have. Right now. This moment.

I love you, I love, I love you.

Hold on to each other.

Sometimes it's easy to see wonderful and beautiful everywhere. Other times it's hard to see anything in all this darkness. Sometimes all we have to hold onto is each other.

The spontaneous.

Sometimes days don't go as you planned them to. Take it as a sign to go have some spontaneous adventures!

There are only so many days.

My heart breaks at the day's end, because I can't bear to see it go. There are only so many days. Make them all wonderful.

The not ok.

It is ok to not be so strong all of time. It is ok to need help, or to be scared, or feel weak. It is ok to not be happy all of time. It is ok to stop pretending, to stop faking that smile when your heart is breaking. It is ok to take off that mask you always hide behind. It is ok to come out from behind those walls you've built around yourself so you won't get hurt.

It is ok to not be ok.

The friends you will make.

Strangers are just friends you aren't as well acquainted with yet.

The dancing shoes.

And these shoes were made for dancing, not for running away.

Be careful.

Be careful when you say that you will never change your mind about something.

Be careful who you let into your life. And be careful who you cut out of your life.

Be careful of others; many times people who deserve love the least are the ones who need it the most.

Be careful of yourself. If you don't take care of yourself, you can't take care of others.

Be very, very careful when you use the word "forever." Forever is a very, very long time. Nothing lasts forever.

The safe harbor.

I want to believe there's something to be learned from suffering. I hope to learn compassion from it. But in the midst of the storm, sometimes I just hope for a safe harbor.

The letters.

Sometimes I write letters to people I miss, or who have hurt me, or who I've hurt. I never send them. I usually burn them, or tear them up.

Sometimes, though, I keep them, and I give them to you.

The forgiveness.

Forgiveness doesn't mean letting the people who hurt you back into your life. You don't even have to tell them you forgive them. You don't have to talk to them or see them ever again.

Forgiveness just means letting go of the hatred or bitterness you harbor. It just means, not letting what they've done have any power over you.

The terror.

I hope you never have to be terrified of anything.

The one person.

Once upon a time, there was a girl, sitting alone in a bus station, crying her eyes out. Many people saw her as they passed by. She was surrounded by people.

Not one person asked if she was ok.

Please, I ask you, please, be the one person.

The single moment.

A single moment can change your life. We walk along without a thought of the disasters that can come out of nowhere. And suddenly, everything we thought we knew, we don't. And all of our plans no longer matter. The world keeps spinning, even though we've been stopped in our tracks.

All it takes is one single moment to derail us, and our lives are changed forever.

I wish we could go back and change those single moments. I wish things could be the way they were. I wish there were never any disasters in any of our lives.

The hurt.

Just because you've been hurt does not give you the right to hurt others. Ever.

The summer days.

I just want to return to the summer days.

Make the world colorful.

If there were only truth, and no lies, the world would be in muted colors. There would be no wonderful stories. No fairy tales, no unicorns, no magic. If there was just the truth, there would be no imagination. There would be no mythology, rich folklore, and the world would be less colorful.

Fight off all of these flames.

I'm telling you where the exits are, but you stay where you are and burn to death. I can't leave you. And I can't stay. But I'll try to fight off all of these flames.

The letting go.

Make your past, your past. Don't carry it with you like a crutch or an excuse. If it's such a heavy, unbearable burden, then why not let it go?

You are responsible and accountable for who you are today. So who are you, today?

Hold on to the impossible.

Dream ridiculously idealistic dreams, hold onto your "couldn't-ever-happen" hopes. Always.

Sweet dreams.

I always hope for you to have the sweetest of dreams. I sing lullabies and hope that the wind will carry them to you.

People must be very happy there.

A friend of mine recently told me a story from an experience she had in her country. This friend is from Costa Rica, and while she was visiting there she spoke with a little boy. He asked her about America.

"Do you have a car?"
"Yes, I do," she said.
"People must all be happy in America."
"Well, no, many people are very sad," she told him.
"Why? People must be happy always there! There's always food, they always have food to eat. And you can buy whatever you want."

There's always food. People must be very happy there. Just take a moment and imagine the sort of life that most people live in this world. Try not to take all that you have for granted. Appreciate that fresh clean water you're drinking, appreciate that you had food to eat today. And if you can, if you have the heart, try to give to those who aren't so fortunate, and who are in need.

Let me tell you a secret.

I always call them adventures. Let me tell you a secret. Sometimes it's more like being really, really scared, but going on anyway.

Let's stop right here and just dream for a minute.

Someday we'll fly away to a place where all of our dreams will come true. We'll live in a tree, just me and you. There will be peace and love, and nothing bad will happen to us ever again.

And it will never be too cold; it will only ever be warm and safe. And when it rains, it will only ever the kind of rain that's fun to dance in.

One kindness at a time.

Let's save the world, one kindness at a time.

The darkened glasses.

I want to take away your darkened glasses and show you a world full of hope.

Safe.

Sometimes it's hard to feel safe when the world around us is so scary.

Stay safe. I love you.

The smallest of wonders.

Yes. The world is sad and scary, and bad things happen all the time. That's why we have to hold onto each other, take care of each other, and be happy for even the smallest of wonders.

Hero.

You're a hero. Yes, you.

Change lives.

Random acts of kindness can help so much more than you know. Seriously. They can change lives.

Let's hold hands.

I want to hold hands with you. Just that. Holding hands. That's it. It's so simple, so kind, and so safe. Why are we so scared to reach out and hold onto someone?

Let's hold hands.

I don't make promises lightly.

There are truly marvelous, spectacular people in the world. There are.

I promise.

Reach out.

Reach out. To someone. A friend, or even a stranger.

The risk it takes to (not) love.

Give your heart, your whole heart, to whatever or whomever you love. Take risks. The worst thing that can happen is not failure, not rejection, not heartbreak, but an unlived life. Be brave, my friend, and live.

You are important.

You make a difference in people's lives and may not even know it. A kind word, a smile, or something bigger. It makes an impact. You're important, and loved, and it is a wonderful thing that you are in this world. Remember that.

Until sunrise.

I miss you. I want to spend time with you. Let's get together and stay up talking until sunrise.

I'm glad we met each other.

Do you ever think about how you met the people who mean the most to you? It's funny how the most meaningful people in our lives, we may never have met, if not for a random set of circumstances.

I'm glad that you were there, and I was there, at that particular time, on that particular day. I'm glad we met each other.

The moments that are worth it.

There are moments of discouragement and despair. But there are also moments of hope and moments where we see how much we've touched the lives of others. And those are the moments worth going through all the rest of it for.

Towards something beautiful.

Let's take a walk towards something beautiful.

The beauty in the heartbreak.

When your heart breaks, you learn how much it hurts. And no one wants to be in pain.

The only way to heal a broken heart is to give all the love you have to others. Share kindness and compassion with everyone you meet. No one should ever feel unloved.

The courage of happiness.

Be brave enough to be happy.

Only take with you what you have learned.

Only take with you what you have learned. Let it make you kind and understanding, not bitter and hardened. Use what you've been through to help others, and make the world more beautiful. Don't let yourself become a part of what makes it ugly. You are so much better and so much stronger than that.

Set yourself free.

Let go of the sadness and the anger and the fear. Whatever happened is in the past now. It can't hurt you anymore. Don't carry the pain with you forever. It's heavy, it hurts, just let it fall away from you.

Kindness.

Try to see yourself in others. Be so kind to all of the people you encounter. They're hurting too, even if you can't see it.

Learn to ask for help.

If the world asks too much of you, ask for help.

Fill today with adventures.

I hope you have an amazing, adventure-filled day.

Someone cares.

Notice the people who seem sad, scared, lonely. Look for the people who seem like they just don't fit in. And reach out to them. Show them that someone cares.

Don't worry.

I know that you are worried. I wish I could make it all better. Try to let go of the things you can't control, stop worrying about all that.

You are in my thoughts. Yes, you.

You are not alone.

If you're feeling ashamed, lost, afraid, unloved, worthless, know that someone else has felt the same. Whatever it is that you're feeling, you're not alone in it.

We are all in this together. So let's help each other.

The sound of laughter.

The sound of laughter is one of the best sounds in the world. Take life lightly today. Learn to laugh at yourself.

And other miracles.

Happy New Year! May it be a year of peace on earth and other miracles.