T'figa Siyady Reve

a friend told me this three years ago...

"as we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down, probably will. you will have your heart broken more than once, and it gets harder every time. you'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. you'll fight with your best friend. you'll blame a new love for things an old one did. you'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you love.

so take a ton of pictures, laugh as much as you can, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

don't be afraid that your life will end, be afraid that it will never begin."

three years ago, times were pretty rough for me, rock bottom status. i don't know if it was just me but i know for others too. sometimes i feel like it's impossible that it's just me hurting, sad, upset, happy, or feeling great. my life is connected to the lives of many people, regardless if you're a friend, family, or complete stranger waiting for the bus across the street. i know somehow i'm creating this ripple effect around me. as a matter of fact, there are ripples everywhere and from all of us. in all directions, angles, and strengths. it's about understanding how life works, not just only what the meaning of it is, but all the other things that make life, well... life.

i've been working at the UCSF Cancer Center for almost 4 years. cancer is not a life ending illness. taking life itself for granted is the life ending illness. i may have to remind myself from time to time that life is worth everything. granting we all go through dark hours and we will, but the thing is going through it, not sitting in it. at some point the wonder of being alive and having the chance to live your life is all you need to get up and keep moving. fill those photo albums, write in your journals, and tell loved ones that you love them. do all the things in life that don't have price tags attached to it.

appreciating the simple things in life is a lost art in recent trends. so live life, love with all your heart and laugh until it hurts...

and i just want to thank that friend for being my inspiration for life. you know who you are.