You wake up unable to say anything, but you find out how to communicate. You play the most amazing music.

You wake up unable to say anything, but you find out how to communicate. You play the most amazing music. You learn that it’s okay to not be okay. You learn to love yourself for all your good and bad qualities. You get through an unspeakable amount of pain. You survive. You go to bed in tears every night and wake up in the morning.

You learn to appreciate your own life. You watch others around you live amazing lives. You take time to remember that what matters most in life is the people around you and what you’re doing with your life. You realize that most of the world would be grateful to you if they knew the kind of life you have.

And then you wake up. You wake up and realize that your life isn’t perfect. But, you’re okay. You’re happy. You have incredible things in your life that you never thought possible. You’re grateful. You’re excited about what’s next. And you’re not waiting for the perfect moment to do all the things you have been dreaming of.

You get excited about tomorrow. You’re excited about every day. You get excited about the future. And, you’re grateful that you get to do all of this with the people in your life that are near and dear to you.

All of these things are things I did not experience when I was a teenager. I can’t imagine experiencing them now. I think I’ve learned more in the past year than in my entire life. I’ve learned that I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. I have no idea what life will bring. But, I have a choice. And I choose to live each day to its fullest.

So, here’s to another year of learning, growing, loving, laughing, and making mistakes. Let’s get through this together. Let’s live.

You wake up unable to say a word, but can all of a sudden write the most amazing music.

You write about the last good thing you’ve ever done and you do it when your car breaks down on the side of the road at 4 AM in the morning.

You write about your own shortcomings and you do it in your own special way.

You write about the things that make you laugh and you do it while you are drunk and can’t remember your password.

You write about your passion and you do it while your heart is broken and you are sure it’s forever broken.

You write about everything that you want to say and everything that you think you need to say.

You write about your feelings of love and your feelings of anger.

You write about how you can’t wait for the next day, just so you can write again.

And you do it all while you are in the middle of a thunderstorm and you’re driving to work.

I write to escape my past.

I write to make sense of my past.

I write to make sense of my present.