we are rising

here is a truth: you will not survive this. 

you are not the person your parents created. cells replace themselves every seven years and you possess a whole new physical form.
you will not be you, like the Ship of Theseus, a modern Frankenstein, like the changeling left by faeries in the place of the human child. you will replace yourself, a new being born to fill in the gap of what you once were. 

here is an apology: it will hurt. 

it will hurt and i'm sorry, you cannot survive this world without being strong and you are so tired of being strong but please. 
hold on. 
one day you can let go, one day you can run away, one day this will end but it won't just yet and i'm so sorry, you have to stay, you have to go on. 

here is a promise: you will live. 

you will burn and you will suffer and you will go down screaming or weeping or fighting or just silent but open your eyes, open your eyes. 
you're not alone. 
there is someone waiting to catch you. someone there to hold your hand. someone whispering in the darkness. we have loved each other in hell before ever reaching heaven, we love destruction so we can create, we love enough that we learn that this is worth it, eventually. it gets worse before it gets better. 

here is a story: 

we are rising.