There are days and times

When I just want to go back to

Back Then

Back when if I fell,

I knew someone was there

to catch me if I fell.

When if I fell asleep on the couch

I'd wake up safe in bed.

Sometimes I want to

Exchange deadlines for play time,

Stress for a nap that I never wanted,

And when the worst thing in the world

Was when I scraped my knee or broke

A favorite toy.

Back Then I couldn't wait to

Grow up and be an

Adult,

I thought every adult in history

Had everything figured out.

That they had all the answers.

Back Then seems like more fun now,

Back when staying up all night was

Something Big and we thought sleep

Was for the weak.

Now we want to sleep for a week

And live on coffee and caffeine.

Back when I though math was hard

And I could read when I wanted to.

Back Then we were free.

We had more free time and less expectation,

Less pressure from everyone around us,

Less obligation.

But Back Then we also had

More boundaries,

More steps to take,

More dreams to dream,

More things to see,

More wishes to make,

And more lessons to learn.

Back Then will always seem more fun.

But Right Now is more.

More opportunity,

More clarity,

More freedom,

And more decisions.

We have learned from Back Then

That there are going to be

Heartbreaks,

Setbacks,

Breakdowns,

and Obstacles in our way.

Right Now is teaching us how to

Overcome,

Adapt,

Dream with our hearts,

Wish with our heads,

Create and destroy,

and how to pick ourselves up from

our own rubble and destruction.

Right Now has showed me that

Adults don't always have the answers,

No one knows what they are doing,

Everyone is just guessing on where to go next,

And that there will always be something left to

Figure out.

So for now I'll stay in the

Right Now

And look at the

Back Then

When I need to feel like a child again.

Right Now isn't as bad as

We think it is.

Things have changed and

Yes there are new problems

For us to fix.

But if we don't fix them

Then who will?

The Right Now is ours

and no one can take it from us.

Right Now is one of the few

Constants that we have.

Use your Right Now to do

Something.

Back Then was fun,

It was comfortable and light

Compared to the Right Now.

But that's what makes the

Right Now the Right Now.

It isn't the Back Then and

It isn't always fun.

Deadlines and sleepless nights

Will pass too.

Just like the Back Then and your current

Right Now will become your

Back Then.

So,

Go live your

Right Now

and go create your

Back Then

for your future self.

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Twitter: @erica_2021

Instagram: @theericat02