happiness not as something to be fought for, not something to be gifted only after untold suffering, but simply an obligation. an obligation to those we love, an obligation to those we've left behind

we are given life, and it is those we love who provide meaning to live that life. the gentle kiss of a lover, the weathered yet comforting arms of a mother or father, the welcoming uproarious voice of a friend, the nuzzled murmurs of a snuggled up pet. all are reasons to continue, all are reasons to continue walking this form we're given. and all are reasons that happiness, indelibly, graces our souls

maybe that's all we need to find a reason to wake up every morning. to persist when persistence is lost. to subsist when we walk among our fettered lives. that even as we rot, as we burn in our own anguish, the unmitigated love of all the souls we cherish are reason to find a way to continue

i am but a gentle dream, of warmth and weariness. wake up, have a little cry, and forget i ever happened