Happiness.

Do you ever look at life and realize that you're blessed?
Realizing that really, you don't have it all that bad because
your best friend, the family next door, or that kid you met last year,
is going through life with a smile on their face but a darker battle underneath.
Sometimes, I forget to look to all that is beautiful in my life-
not just the immensely beautiful things like family, and the gospel, but the little things
like the singing birds, and the dazzling sun that fills my body with warmth the
moment our paths cross.

Joy, I have found, cannot always be found in the same place.
Families aren't always perfect, and the gospel blesses, but it also tries
in ways that, quite simply, are tough to endure.
However, I know that life was meant for us to find joy,
and even though I sometimes have to escape into that joy
through poetry or books, I know that I can always find glimpses
of it somewhere because God intended me to be happy.
Happiness isn't always easy, and sometimes it slips away all
too quickly, but it's always hidden somewhere in life.
You just might need to prepare for a bit of a dig, because it,
like all good treasure, may be buried deep.

Love Always,
Ems