One Direction. You know the name. Someone you know was obsessed with them. One of the biggest boy bands the world has ever seen. A phenomenon that was unimaginable to many.
Today is the day that One Direction was formed. Nine years ago millions of people around the world fell in love with five boys from England and Ireland. And for nine years those people have showered the boys with endless amounts of love.
To be clear, my One Direction years will never be over. I'll be the grandmother one day talking about how amazing they were in concert; the same way our grandparents talk to us about The Beatles. Even so, my teen years that I spent adoring those five boys will always be remembered in my heart as some of the best years of my life.
One Direction gave me so much. Believe it or not, they made me happy on my darkest days. I know they were never talking directly to me, but it felt like it. The messages in the songs like "Don't Forget Where You Belong," "Hey Angel," and, "Diana" made me feel less alone. They made me feel calm when I was anxious. There was a point in time where the only way to calm me down from an anxiety attack was to have me listen to One Direction's music.
Not only were the messages in the songs meaningful to me, but the boys themselves were a major key point to my everyday happiness. They kept me laughing, whether it be in interviews or through tweets or video diaries. They never failed to make me laugh. And to this day, Harry Styles motto is "treat people with kindness" which is something I try to live up to every day.
For nine years One Direction has made me one of the happiest people alive. I still have their poster on my wall. I still look up to them as, sort of, role models. I still turn to their music to lift my spirits. My adoration did not end when the hiatus began, and it will not end until the day I leave this Earth.
I'm sure there are many people out there who feel the same. The brothers and sisters I stood alongside to send our continuous support to those five boys. "If you ever feel alone, don't. You're never on your own." The proof is in these words. So, Directioners, today is our day. Our day to reminisce on the joy, good times, and lessons that One Direction brought to us for these past nine years.
Don't forget where you belong.
