What you're about to read is something I wrote just out of the blue one evening. It's not based on anyone in particular. I just came up with the first line, and like most things, it went on from there. Maybe it'll mean something to you.
It was amazing, the way she just smiled, like everything was all right when it clearly wasn't. But somehow, she believed it was. She had such an unusual propensity towards hope and joy, laughter and optimism, that she truly believed it could all be okay and work out in the end, no matter the odds.
I think that's what drew us to her--she had a light that couldn't be extinguished. And she knew how much that meant to us, so she never let us see her falter. She kept her tears, her darkest secrets, and her deepest fears hidden, because if she were afraid, what chance did the rest of us have?
Sometimes I saw the chinks in her armour. I loved her for them, but what I always loved and admired most was that smile, that laughter, those bright eyes that never dimmed, even when she was feeling weak.
Nothing could make her lose sight of that beautiful morning she always saw, even at the edge of her darkest horizon. To her, darkness was merely a medium to let the light shine all the more dazzlingly. For her, the stars and the moon were just as lovely as the sun, if not more so.
Her smile and laughter communicated a wealth of emotions stored up inside her. I got to know her well enough that I could distinguish her genuinely happy smiles from those that came after a teary hour or anxious pondering, because those were more akin to those of a rainbow than those of sunlight.
I never truly understood why she preferred gloomy weather, but I think it had to do with whatever awakening she experienced that made her that way. She'd told me once that she hadn't always been this way, but she never explained more than that.
I think there was a time in her life that was so dark and dreary, she saw no escape. Yet somehow, she'd made it through. Somehow, somewhere, she'd found just enough light to hold on to, and once she realized how strong that light was, once the clouds parted and she could see clearly, she decided to never let go.
I wish I had asked why. I wish I had asked her to tell me her story. But somehow, I think I already know what she'd say: "Does it really even matter?"
Anyway, there you have it.
"So count your blessings every day. It makes the monsters go away. And everything will be okay.
"You are not alone. You are right at home. Good night."
