Monday, May 30, 2011

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.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

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.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

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.

Friday, May 27, 2011

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.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

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.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

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.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

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.

Monday, May 23, 2011

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.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

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.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011

The keys.

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

Thursday, May 19, 2011

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.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

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.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

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.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Live lightly.

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

Saturday, May 14, 2011

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.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

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."

Monday, May 9, 2011

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.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

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.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

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.

Friday, May 6, 2011

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.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

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.

Monday, May 2, 2011

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.

Sunday, May 1, 2011