I’m going to tell you the secret to staying alive.
Because so few know.
And so many die.
Don’t leave because the world is cruel
Live in spite of it.
Live for yourself
Live to show off.
Find your reason. It doesn’t have to be solid.
Find any reason.
And then find another.
Live for that
Live for you.
Live because of that new movie you want see
Live so that you can help when others struggle to breath.
Live because of the people around you. And if you have no people live to meet some.
When you were younger, people died.
When you were younger, you struggled just to survive.
It was hard then. And it is hard now.
But never forget. Never forget the space between.
A time when you didn’t try to hide.
A time when you were okay to be seen.
Never forget the people you lost.
But never forget who they wanted you to be.
They wanted to see you grow up.
They wanted you to be free.
I wanted you to stay
I have always wanted you to stay.
I wanted you to find out who you are, I wanted you to find a reason to gloat.
I never wanted you to find out when a love letter would become a suicide note
I wanted you to live long for anger to tell you its real name was grief.
Your life doesn’t have to be so brief.
Live to see the next sun rise, and stay for it to set. Live to hear the birds chirp in the morning and crickets creak at night.
Live for the smell of freshly baked cookies and the taste of your favorite food.
For the sound of rain against the roof and for the next “I love you”
Remember that time when you were younger.
You wanted to find out the worth of your shoes measured in speed.
Say “Mom look how fast these shoes make me”
And she would smile.
Live for that smile.
The secret is to buy a new pair of shoes and run. Run to the movie you’ve always wanted to see, and after run so that you can help someone else learn to breath
If you want 13 reasons I can tell you why
- Live for yourself
- Live for others
- Live to help the world
- Live in spite of it
- Live for your sister
- Live for your brother
- Live for those you’ve lost
- Live to find another
- Live for the next tomorrow
- Live in spite of yesterday
- Live for those who couldn’t
- Live to raise those who still can
- Live for the ability to show the world exactly what they would have otherwise missed
And I know now that I am far too late. What good is a secret with no one to tell it to. I write this for you. I write this because I missed my chance.
I wish that I said something
I wish there was more I had tried
I wish that I could tell you depression was always only one day behind.
But more than anything I wish I could have told you-
The secret to staying alive.