ALL I CAN ASK

And all I can ask is when I tell you that you are a gift, that you don't roll your eyes and brush it off like you're nothing special. That you listen. Just this once. Just listen. I know how easy it is to hear those words and think, No, not me. Those words aren't meant for me.

But when I say you are a gift, I mean that your smile has the power to lift a person's entire day. That your willingness to just be there and listen can pull someone from the brink of darkness and remind them that there is light and good and beauty in this world.

That I know you don't let everyone in, but for the ones you do - it is an honor. And when I say you are a gift, I mean there's something inside you that this world needs: words and art, advocacy and mentorship, compassion and love.

That what you create through your fingers and voice and body has the power to shatter through the numbness and make someone feel. When I say you are a gift, I mean that there are sparks of your magic planted throughout this world from words you've said, kindness you've offered, art you've created.

That you matter in ways you may never fully comprehend. You walk through life making everything around you a little more beautiful. And you may not always see it, but that - that is a gift.