My Reasons

My top ten reasons to live...1

This is off the top of my head, and honestly, I don't know if I HAVE ten, but that's not important. To me, only one is necessary, and I'm already certain of this first one.2

1. My nieces. I love and adore them. Ages 3 and 6, they're the most beautiful things I've ever beheld. They make me laugh, they make me cry (with frustration, mind you, I do know they're little monsters inside) they inspire me, they love me, they're everything. I love their brattyness, how witty they are when they're being naughty, how when they cry it breaks your heart, how they know how to manipulate. Yeah, I love all those bad things about them. I also love how they love to sing, off tune just like everyone else in my family, and they dance and perform and have fun no matter what. I love how creative they are, and how my 6 year old niece tries to practice yoga and the 3 year old tries to copy her. I love that when I look at them, I have no idea what their futures will be because they're still bright with possibility.3

They're my number one reason to live, because they should never ever have to learn that sometimes life isn't worth living, or that it's ok to give up. How could I ever darken their lives with my death?4

2. I love to feel things, physically and emotionally. So my second reason to live is the burn of sun on my skin, the gentle stroke of the wind as it blows past me, the joy of jumping into the refreshing ocean on a hot day, and the magic that I can feel in the air when I go for walks at night. The world, as told me by my senses, is simply amazing.5

3. Because I am loved. For everyone who loves me. For every wonderful person who would be sad that I was gone. 6

4. For all the books I haven't written, or all the dreams I haven't fulfilled.7

5. For all the joy I haven't brought to someone yet, that's just waiting to be accomplished.8

6. For all the good I haven't done, and all the mistakes I've yet to learn from.9

7. Because I don't want to die till I learn how to love myself, and see myself as beautiful. 10

8. For all the conversations with strangers that would become friendships that I'd miss out on11

9. For the concerts, and the euphoria of blending into a crowd12

10. And finally, I have to live, because I've already lived for almost two decades and done next to nothing for the world, and I need to pay it back, whether it's by taking care of my parents when they're too old, or having children, or planting trees. I need to give back to the life that has given so much to me <3