He looks at me with his piercing green eyes, but they soften at the sight of me. His lips turn upward into a smile and my heart almost melts from pure warmth. I run to him, his arms wrap around me. I feel safe and at home. And most of all I feel the bright side of love.

“i could tell you a million compliments with just your eyes”

oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god buries face in hands and blushes manically i got the best boy there is

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

(Sorry this is embarrassing but I’m subjecting you to it anyway)

He looks like milky tea, with splatters of cocoa dotting his face Rich paint-strokes of hair, the colour of shoe polish His eyes are tired, like swirling rock pools No thrashing ocean visible Just in his head His self, a body of humanity, extraordinary in its normalcy His rib cage I can just see, I could reach out and trace I don’t think he would mind Though I’m scared to touch him- I’m not sure I’m ready

He sounds like jazz, hum, swung, scatted Gentleness in his tone Concern is a word I no longer detest He sounds like tentative vulnerability But mainly swagger, fake but he can act He used to act for me I used to be taken in by the performance now he sounds like gentle teasing A voice with tone that reaches up and down Measured in its randomness

He smells like soap Scrubbed roughly Into cracked skin Like cleanliness, tears washed off of him I’d never know them to be there But I suppose I’m fairly new to him He smells of skin Of personness A word I can’t even claim as real But he’s there I know from the smell of peace, the smell of him It’s not reproducible

He feels like warmth A soft glow I fall into Though with clumsiness he falls into me Stumbling over our own fear Our own laughter A gentle comfort In which our bodies are not unfamiliar to each other Hair, soft and touchable Yet the pressure of his own matter Ground mine

He tastes like something I can’t describe A deep, yet mild taste Something dark Yet sweet He tastes like caring He tastes like not restricting for an entire week Cause he wouldn’t want that He tastes like hot chocolate And childhood The good part as well He tastes of a promise One I’m scared of failing If promises can be made undeserving

He is In every sense of the word He is

And I think he is mine Just maybe, and maybe I’m his

I’d like that.

I know the answer. I know how to describe it.

You.

It was always you.

You were the one to give me hope.

You lit the candle in my heart.

Before you it had been long gone for years.

You are my happiness.

You.

It was always you.

The warmth of the sun tickles her skin while a small smile spreads across her face. She can feel the tingle to her skin as the wind blows, igniting the tiny hairs on her arms. Her eyes light up as she takes in the view in front of her and her heart is full.

The sun is in the sky and in the soul. How a star emits visible light, your spirit emits invisible light. This light, feeling, and energy exists inside our body, and when we notice it, it fills our being. To project this light outward and express the nature of our psyche is our venture in life, accompanied by an inward journey of identification and mastery, a process of unveiling, and an understanding of truth that nobody can take away from you. A life is meant to be lived to this fulfillment, and the process is unique to each individual while having universal similarities. Don’t give up; with each breath you understand a little more about the core of yourself. And in so, you understand the nature of life itself.

Beach breeze on the skin Waves crashing on the shore Colors bouncing on the horizon Catching the eternal vibes

Hiking the woods of Pennsylvania Light dancing on verdant leaves Sunburst through the tree canopy Father and son walking, you and me Breathing in the cleanest air Nature’s soul food

Bearing witness to The majesty of Redwoods Climber summits El Cap in the telescope’s eye Watching morning light dance at Glacier Point Sunrise in Yosemite

Walking behind waterfalls Mist dancing on skin Water thundering in my soul

Dad and son adventures Awakening the Profound

Beauty of the streams Water shaping wet rocks Feeling smooth surfaces of pebbles In the palm of your hand

Being a kid Traversing fallen logs When you do that thing You didn’t think you could And learning that you can

When she says yes, Central Park Honeymoon in Moorea Sojourn in San Diego 58 Prince Street, The North End Sunsets in South Beach Hello Hollywood, baby number one Reading notes from your children Knowing true love Knowing you made a difference You are someone’s everything

The joy of giving back Paying it forward

The memory of holding someone’s hand The dream that seemed so real We were just walking through Walmart, You and I, Dad, and you were alive again Hugging you tight

Understanding The Beauty of It All

Her face lights up a room Such a beautiful grin Music plays as she walks by Everyone gets up and dances She brings the sunshine into a room Good vibes What we’re feeling

It's beautiful. There is nothing like it. It's like waking up next to someone you've missed for years only to realize they've been there all along. The feeling after sadness when you realize everything is actually going to be okay. Seeing someone else achieve something they've been wanting for years. Looking into the eyes of someone who matters so much to you. Being surprised by a loved one and trying to hold back tears but there's so much feeling you can't help it. Having your first fresh hot meal in weeks. A pet brushing up against you only for you to realize how much you are loved and cared for by people who don't even know you. It's everywhere and in everything if you look for it.

I felt it for the first time, in a long time, when we were standing on the riverbank between here and there.

Our journey was long, but you knew that. If you didn’t see the contents of my soul before that moment, perhaps you saw the potential in the hope that I could never shake, or you understood that life had been heavy for longer than usual, or maybe you simply believed better than I ever could.

We had been lost for an agonizing length of days (months? years?) on different roads before we had known each other. I suppose it only made sense that we would stumble into one another at some point in this life that is somehow both too short and too long.

I had existed in the terrifying unknown with such severity and depth, I didn’t notice I had begun to lose all sense of other realities. I felt lost and alone for so long, any other state of being ceased to coincide with the truth I now faced every day. Intense flashes of what used to be tended to sear my temples in dreams, only to be lost in waking. I suppose that is why I had clung to hope; I understood what could be. I had lived it long ago.

One day, I realized I was a paper birch tree. It’s easy to see the importance of trees, as they tower proudly and protect those who seek shelter in and under their branches, though I always felt lost among the taller, more impressive beasts of the forest. Still, I was able to anchor myself with strong roots, allow time to pass over me in seasons and colours, and bend my delicate branches without breaking. Yes, I must be a birch tree; dwarfed by the mighty ashes, and maples, oaks, and redwoods, but still here, a quiet and steady, guardian of the forest. So I held fast on the brightest days and in the darkest nights on the long journey. I met others along the way, some living freely, others living more like me, drifting along as the world pulled them as it may. They all came and went just the way they were meant to.

I met you somewhere in between. You were one of the free ones, I could tell from afar. I wonder, did you know then, that you are sunshine? I have always known that to be true. You are warmth to many and radiate from the inside out. I couldn’t tell your journey had been just as long as mine. Maybe you took great pains to hide the unwanted memories that crept into your psyche at pivotal moments, maybe you have always been and will always be sunshine. I don’t know. No one knows except you.

Our paths collided and so we walked together for a time. A long time. Neither of us intended to stay in the other’s life, it just…happened. With the usual ebbs and flows of daily existence, you always seemed to be there, and so did I. Sometimes on purpose. Often by accident.

The adventures that ensued on lighter days were always my favourite. They were full of possibility and always gave me more reason to hope. Over time, we were able to take on challenges together and walk places neither of us had ventured before. When the rocky roads and downhill slopes met the exciting heights and breathtaking views in equal measure, I came to a conclusion. Paper birch trees need sunshine to grow. Sunshine needs something to shine upon. We were better together. We are better together.

One day, on a simple excursion to stretch our legs, we stopped by the edge of a slow moving river. The trees rooted strong and the sun shone brightly. As we watched the water trickle over the rocks on its predetermined path, I knew. For the first time, in a long time, I was happy.