Burn

I said something to a friend when she was feeling like "a puddle that didn't belong in the world" (I know, what an awesome turn of phrase!).

The world will always try to hammer us down. Sometimes it'll come sideways, sometimes from our friends, sometimes from our loved ones, sometimes it'll be from ourself. Sometimes we won't know why. But every time we have to remember who we are, what we are, and more importantly that we have to live, to burn, to be strong. 

The world is like radiation on our skin, it doesn't care what shape we are, it doesn't matter how we feel, it just impulses against our bodies with unceasing action. And the only thing we can do is take it, and use it and grit our teeth and say "This is me! I don't give a crap, I'm going to be here! And I'm going to keep being here until the end of my days. And even then, my spirit will endure this harsh world, wondering its soul and giving happiness just as I did in life. As those people live on, and pass my will to others. I will never die. I will never cease to be. The will never be me again, but I will be always."

And with that small, and so profound defiance, the world will change, and shimmer, and tremble. And that radiation will turn to glorious sunshine. Radiant and beautiful and warm as the maker's touch against our skin. Nothing else will, but all the universe really wants to hear is "I AM HERE. I AM ALIVE. I AM." And it responds will all the joys that we have. 

This life will never be more than it is. It doesn't have to be. If we take it, it will hold more beauty and wonder than we can contain.