my love letter of conventional advice

Thanksgiving Day reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: "The things we take for granted are another person's wishes and prayers." It seems that in the midst of complaining, it always comes down to an appreciation of my life and all it has to offer. It is so easy to get lost in focusing on the negative burdens of life when in reality there is so much joy and love around you. Reminder that it is okay to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, but it is never okay to let the weight of the world weigh you down so much that all you see is your feet and not the beautiful sky above you. I love this quote because it serves as a gentle reminder to practice appreciating all you have. It puts into perspective how fortunate we are and how we might overlook what may be a source of longing for someone else. It encourages us to appreciate what we have, knowing that not everyone has the same privileges or opportunities we are so lucky to experience.

I recently updated the photowall in my room. Each picture, of the current sixty-two on my wall, resembell a moment of pure happiness; a moment where nothing else mattered but the adrmiration for those in the photo. I like to think that this is the reason as to why I love carrying my camera everywhere I go despite if it weighs my jean pockets down or not. My freshman year of high school, I took a photography class. I was taught by a lovely teacher with lovely peers learning a lovely subject I didn't think would've made such an imapct as it has throughout my subsequent years. I am so grateful to have been given opportunities throughout my life, and more specifically this past year, to experience some of my happiest moments with people I love whilst having my camera in hand. There is such a humanistic joy in being able to pursue passions in life with the people who make every moment even more special than the last.

I have such an abundance of admiration for the people in my life and for all the people who I have yet to meet. Each person in my life has qualities about them that have shaped me into the person I am today. For whoever is reading this, for whatever occasion, on whatever day, I am thankful for you...yes you. You make the world a better place just for simply being. Never doubt how special and appreciated you are. I am so grateful to say that I am living the life I wished for myself years ago. I could go on for days about the things I love, the waves I wish to surf, the instruments and songs I wish to play, goals I wish to achieve, and so forth. I wished for friends who were filled of love and kindness, friends who made me laugh and smile, friends who made me feel appreciated and seen, friends who cared about my goals and were willing to support them no matter how out of reach they may seem. It is such a lovely thing to be able to wake up everyday knowing that there are people who love the character of who you are despite those who may not. Gentle reminder, you can't make everyone like you. It is a hard thing to come to terms with but at the end of the day, it's true. Despite this truth, always remember to be good and kind. How you make others feel about themselves says a lot about you. Be the reason someone feels welcomed, seen, heard, valued, loved, and supported.

I find that there is love in everything. Now, not in the simplicity of a relationship, but in a sense of the people we meet along the way throughout the course of our lives and exposure to the things around us. So many days go by where we don't appreciate the ground we step on or the flowers, plants, and trees that provide us the ability to breathe. The world is so much bigger than the person who was tailgating you or the person who didn't smile back at you in the store. Life is much more meaningful once you can learn to appreciate things beyond their burdens. What is a life if spent pondering on relatively meaningless things? Just a light reminder, your life is so special, don't waste away yourself just for something that is silly and pointless. As J. Cole once said, "No such thing as a life that's better than yours." There is someone out in the world who has cleaner shoes than you, who gets to work less hours than you, who has better grades than you, who can play a sport better than you, but one thing that person will never have is being you.

Reminder: There are still so many hugs and laughs, nights and days, risks worth taking, road trips to experience, books to read, pictures to take, and memories to make. If you see something beautiful in someone, say it. It could last with them for a lifetime.

with love,

em 𓇼