Hello dear reader,

The world that we live in is well, for lack of better words, going crazy. With everything on the news being death, pain, hate and the occasional puppy it is at times had to find faith in the tangible things, hard to find faith in the people. It is easy to live in fear of each other and the world in general so today I am going to tell you about the things I will always be able to believe in no matter how dark the world gets. We all need something beyond our gods to believe in some days and these are mine.

1.) My Little Brother

My little brother Billy has the potential to be anything in the world he wants to be. He could be someone's hero, he could be a storyteller like me, he could just keep being the best friend to the girl who lives across the street. I have so much hope for the things he can become even beyond what I want to do with my life. He is still so young and he doesn't understand how to hate anything. He gives me hope for the world despite its changes.

2.) There Will Always Be More Stories To Tell

I call myself a writer but at the end of the day I am a storyteller. I tell my friends stories when they are sad, I spend my every spare moment writing stories, and I live my life in a way to create stories. No matter what this world becomes I will always have that. There will always be stories to tell and I will always be a story teller. My whole adolescence can be summarized based on the books that helped me get through the bad times and hope for the good. My greatest hope is one day I can create a piece of writing that is to someone what those books were to me. I can always hope for that because I can always be a story teller and nothing and no one can take that from me.

3.)I Know How to Fight

My whole life I have had to kick and scream and work my ass off for everything I have. I was taught when I was barely a twig of a human being the right way to punch and the right words to say to make people listen even when they don't want to. So no matter what the world I live in becomes I know I will always be able to fight for myself.

4.) There Are People Who Will Fight For Me

On the few occasions where I am not strong enough or loud enough to fight for myself I know there are people in my life who will fight for me. I am loved if I am nothing else in this world and that I consider a privilege. The people who I have found my way too and those that have found their way to me thank you. In case any of you are reading this know I will fight for you if you ever need me too.

5.) Where There Is Hate, One Can Always Find Love

As much hate as I see in this world, I have to believe that there is a counterbalance. I live my life based on a religion that is about finding balance so I have to believe that where there is hate you can find love. In the same way that where there is darkness you can always find light. When you are having the worst day you just need to know that the darkness around you right now will move past. There will always be bad days but there will be just as many good. In every moment of failure there is a chance at success. So if you are reading this and you are in a bad place know the bad won't be around forever, so find a friend or a stranger and give them a hug tell them that you aren't always okay and maybe you need some help. Tell them everything feels like it has gone straight to hell but tell them you need a reason to believe it's going to get better, and it will in time but now maybe you'll have someone at your side to help you get through the rougher water.

6.) Everything I Send Out Comes Back By Three

In witchcraft people often believe in the rule of three, it is basically what ever energy you send out into the world will come back to you by three. So if you send out hate and negative energy it will backfire on you and if you send out love and positive energy it will come back to you three times over. I believe every bit of kindness I send out will come back to me. So I do my best even in times of anger to be kind because if I am spreading kindness other people will too and maybe by the rule of three the world will get a little better.

7.) There Are Still Good People In The World

I believe that there are still good people in the world. I have a friend and his name is Patrick and while I am sure like literally every other human he has been mad I don't think I have ever seen him mad. Every time I talk to him I find no mater how sad I am when I went into the conversation I leave with a smile on my face. He does his best to make other people laugh and to put smiles on peoples faces. I have never asked him why and maybe I will one day but that day isn't today because right now all I care about is I know somewhere is Patrick probably making people smile.

I have seen people pick up stray dogs with nothing more in mind than finding their homes or giving them one. I have watched little kids say the most ridiculously cute things that you just know some adult taught them, like once a little girl told me that snow was in fact not snow but "Santa Sparkles" and you just kind of know some adult taught her that and it makes me smile because someone in her life wants her to see the magic in simple things that most of us are throwing a hissy fit about. I have had people help me in my life in ways I didn't deserve and often didn't even have to ask for. Things like this give me hope because it is just proof there are good things in the world.

8.) I Can Always Go Home

When I say go home I don't mean a place I mean when the hate in the world weighs on me I can always go back to the people who love me. I can always go back to my family, whether that means the family I was born into or the family I have chosen for myself I know that when I really need them I can always go back to them and they will pull me close and remind that when the world goes batshit there are people who will weather the storm with me. When you can't afford to keep the power on there are people who will walk around the house with you and light the candles, then play monopoly on the living room floor with you. When you get to drunk they'll take your keys. When you feel like you don't know which way to go they will sit at the cross roads with you and toast to the fact that you made it this to begin with. When you get lost they will track you down, offer you a hot shower and tell you about the better times so you remember where you came from and not how badly you're fucking up. When you are really fucking up they will tell you and not worry about sparing your feelings just remember to help you feel better after they straighten you out.

9.) There Are People Who Believe In Me

For every person that has told me that I was worthless there has been a person telling me I can do anything. So when the world is crazy like it is and I am worried about the future of everyone even myself, I find hope in the people that have believed in my potential. It may seem stupid because people are out there everyday getting killed, kids are dying and losing all of their potential good and bad but if I can keep moving and keep writing things to help people understand that the bad shit in the world is supposed to make them feel something than maybe the people that believed in me and pushed me to reach for my dreams can make a difference.

10.) It Gets Better

I have to believe that it gets better. We all have to believe that if we scream loud enough and fight hard enough the world is going to get better. All the bad things we are facing today will one day just be a history lesson. All of the hate will turn to love and understanding. There will always be bad in the world but one day we won't have to fight the fights we are fighting right now.

I wish to end this with a disclaimer. If you are struggling right now, about anything not just the big things going on in the world, I want you to know that your problems are valid and if you need help ask someone for it. What you are feeling right now will not last forever and the world isn't going to break you if you don't let it, just be strong and if you can't find someone who can help you.