Life isn’t always what we dreamed it would be when we were young—when fairy tales were real…and monsters could always be slain with smiles and laughter.

We knew then that we would never get sick. We would always find joy. Our hearts would never be split in two. Our spirits never broken. Our hopes and dreams would never be diminished…not when we needed them the most.

We were wrong.

When we’re grown up, sometimes things are hard…and it’s easy to think about giving up—surrendering to the monster in the dark.

Sometimes it feels like we have no one to lean on when we need a friend. Sometimes the weight of the world bears down on us and we just don’t think we can go on.

We were wrong.

Those are the times we must fight the hardest—grasp onto the slightest shred of hope in the dim light of despair. No matter how dark the night is, the morning will come again.

And even on the grayest day there is air to breathe…no matter how loudly our hearts scream that we cannot breathe…we just need to make the effort.

Because we were wrong…about the fairy tales…and the monsters…and the joy.

They are all real, and they are inside of us.

And the joy can beat the monsters in the fairy tales we create. And our spirit can’t be broken…not if we say it can’t. And our dreams cannot be diminished…not if we continue to dream. And our hearts can’t ever really be split in two by heartbreak…not if we hold on to hope like the glue that keeps us together.

And we can never really be sick if we live our lives to the fullest each and every day we draw breath…

Until the next time…I’ll be dreaming of a sunny day in the dark of night!