If I'm sure of anything, it's that life is hard. It's overwhelming, unpredictable, and often disappointing; but, maybe it's in these times of disappointment that we find out who we truly are. I know, it's cheesy and an idea that's terribly overdone, but I believe that all of those who have come to this conclusion were on to something. There has to be a reason why. There has to be a bigger picture.

I know, I'm not writing anything that hasn't been written before,but there's really no other way for me to reason. I know life is hard, but I still am convinced that even on our worst days, there is always something brighter waiting for us. I just wish I could understand why. Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we have to struggle? Why is it that in the process of being ourselves and caring about others do we break our own hearts? I honestly wish I knew. I wish I could close my eyes and just see that ten years from now that semester I struggled so much with school paid off, that one day all of the sleepless nights and hard work benefited me in some way, that the people who broke my heart and let me down won't even cross my mind anymore. I want to be able to do that so much, but I can't. All I can do is move forward blindly and hope that every step I'm taking, whether it be big or small, will one day create the person I'm supposed to be.

Then other times, I am thankful that I have no idea what will happen, because it's these times that I truly learn to grow. If I knew that without a doubt I would successful in the future, then there's no chance that I'd work for anything now. So, I guess in that right, I'm lucky. If I ever do anything notable, then at least I'll have earned it. What I'm thankful most surprisingly though, is heartbreak. As awful as it feels, it gives me hope. I've learned to adjust; not so much that I've accepted the fact that it'll last forever, but more so the fact that I can live through it.

That's what I want you to know, that even though having a broken heart feels like the end, it isn't. I know, that's something your mom would say, but it's because it's true. Sometimes we just have to accept the fact that people will disappoint us more than we ever knew to be possible. We learn things that will make our hearts sink and we feel like it's this never ending cycle for us. I'm here to tell you that you're wrong. It doesn't matter how your heart was broken; maybe an ex found someone else, maybe you were betrayed by someone who was supposed to be your friend, maybe you suffered a loss, maybe someone you care about just doesn't see you, maybe life is just hard and you're really discouraged right now. Whatever it is know that there's always a reason, there's always something more, and there's always going to be a brighter day for you.

Lastly, what I want you to know most is that I'm so sorry for whatever you're going through. I know that there is nothing I can do, but offer some sort of encouragement along the way. And maybe for some, that's enough.

With Love and Respect,

Hannah