My life is real.

Life's lessons are what's more important than any other material longings we have. They strengthen us...they make us smarter. The next thing we know, we're already a changed person. A much better one.

Not one single thing can equal the benefits of what we learn in life. They stay alive forever. Lil somethings we can draw from our pockets when we encounter similar yet tougher situations in the future. We are more equipped.

It's true what they say, just change the way you see things. We keep asking for this and that. We're given something else. We complain because we think we know better without understanding that every lil thing that comes our way is a blessing. We're determined this is what we want or need yet we are given something we deem trifle. But, if we just open our eyes and closely look at what we consider petty, we learn something called "contentment". Something that can truly lead us to real joy.

Happiness is, indeed, a choice. It's not just an emotion or feeling caused by another being or wonderful things or events. It is a state of mind. What are we focusing on? Where's the direction of our sight? What emotions do we keep in our hearts? Are we nurturing our pains and anger? Or are we letting them heal?

You're one of my favorite people.

Each one of us has a "Morrie Schwartz" in our lives. I do. What's wonderful about it is I don't only get to have "Tuesdays" with my "Morrie". Whenever I need a "Tuesday with Morrie", I have the privilege to have it. No buts and no waiting. Anytime in a day. And I hope to be someone's Morrie.

No applause.

Soulmate (or soul mate): it's like a best friend, but more. It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It's someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don't make you a better person, you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soul mate is someone who you carry with you forever. It's the one person who knew you and accepted you and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would. And no matter what happens, you'll always love them. Nothing can ever change that.

I'm a mess. I apologize.

I used to be afraid of sooo many things. That I would never grow up. That I would be trapped in the same place for all eternity. That my dreams would forever be shy of my reach. It's true what they say. Time plays tricks on you. One day you're dreaming, the next your dream has become your reality. And now that this scared little girl no longer follows me wherever I go, I miss her. I do.

I miss her because there are things I wanna tell her -- to relax, to lighten up, that it is all going to be ok. I want her to know that meeting people who like you, who understand you, who actually accept you for who you are, will become an increasingly rare occurrence. The people who contributed to who I am, they are with me wherever I go, and as history gets rewritten in small ways with each passing day, my love for them only grows. Because the truth is... it was the best of times. Mistakes were made, hearts were broken, harsh lessons learned, but all of that has receded into fond memory now.

How does it happen? Why are we so quick to forget the bad and romanticize the good? Maybe it's because we need to believe that the time we spent together actually meant something, that we were there for each other in a time in our lives that defined us all, a time in our lives that we will never forget. I can't swear this is exactly how it happened. But this is how it felt.