“Only those who truly love and who are truly strong can sustain their lives as a dream. You dwell in your own enchantment. Life throws stones at you, but your love and your dream change those stones into the flowers of discovery. Even if you lose, or are defeated by things, your triumph will always be exemplary. And if no one knows it, then there are places that do. People like you enrich the dreams of the world, and it is dreams that create history. People like you are unknowing transformers of things, protected by your own fairytale, by love.” -Ben Okri.
I've come to realize that a girl can be greatly known for the dreams she possesses. The long-lasting idea of a fairytale life can follow a girl, even past her childhood years. It's not as if it's unrealistic for a girl to still want a prince charming, and an eternal happy ending. Though, most don't realize how or when they can achieve such a newfound "standard" for happiness. Some also dream of bigger things, like future plans, and future life achievements that make them feel worth something. However, growing up in such a diverse, unfair world, those dreamers and idealists are forced to face cold hard truth sometimes, and only hope that the dreams they close their eyes to imagine, can be seen with eyes wide open, whether it be prominent, or unseen for much of a girl's life.
Ever since I was little, I've dreamed and concocted the strangest of things. Most I don't remember, but some I still hold on to. I never knew that when I got older, heartbreak would feel worse than tripping over a rock feet away from my friend's front door, and scratching up almost my entire body. I never exactly thought about how afraid I'd be to take risks, when I thought taking a huge risk was going high on a swing set, since I used to be scared to death to even try. Never once did I know that drama from my peers could exceed the time me and my old best friend got in a fight because she left her bike in my yard. And never once did I even think that the little sassy girl I was, full of hopes, love, and dreams, would turn into the person I've become to this day. I didn't know so much in this world could hurt me. But, I've found that I hadn't really started living until everything seemingly possible in the world that could hurt me, did, and I still held my composure. I realized that dreaming is the only medication that could even relatively soothe the pain that reflected onto me, after the loss of trust I've found in others, or the loss of myself in my own chaotic thoughts. Whether it'd be dreaming of how I'd fall in love one day, or how and where I'd begin a life and family, and especially who I'd always see myself becoming. But oh, if only it wasn't easier spoken, than it is to actually follow through with.
Nobody can ever tell you how excruciatingly tough life can get, until you're forced to look it right in the face, and give it every possible thing you've got. And I've found that you never truly know how strong you are, until strong is the only thing you can be. Everybody's gonna have to deal with boys who think they're worthy enough to be complete jerks, girls who can't help but start drama for the attention they don't deserve, and problems that will make you feel so scared about your future, that you're almost ready to take a step back and cry your heart out. But whether you do or not, or whether you face those things with an open mind, or a weary heart, you learn. You learn from the tears, and that helps you appreciate the smiles. You learn from the fear, and that helps you appreciate the risks. You learn from every little thing that brought you down, for it only makes you stronger. I've finally learned to sing, just because I'm happy with life, love, regardless of my past, just because I'm aware that I'm strong enough, and to laugh, knowing that no matter where life can take me, I'll always be fulfilling the same dreams I once dreamed, just because I'm slowly but surely living it.