Everything I dreamed about as a little girl looks nothing like the life I have before me

But that’s the thing about dreams: They grow and stretch along with us

The imaginings of a child whose bubble had not yet burst, who had not yet been touched by darkness and grief

Could never be of the beauty this life holds for me, now

Because it’s true, what they say

The joy is so much more vibrant, the light much brighter

Because the darkness has swallowed you whole before

So I look at my life; I hug my child tight

And the shit that persistently sprays all over my world

Becomes easier to wash away