I remember the day I discovered Coldplay,

the first time I heard music that reaches to a place so deep you can feel

the day my nerves and insecurities hid their looming face

long enough for me to let myself move, to dance

the day I let my voice sing out, instead of just humming along

the day I saw that the sun didn't have to be shining

for the day to be beautiful

the day I learned you actually don't have to color in between the lines,

and you don't have to cross all your t's and dot all your i's

the day I realized a picture can speak a thousand words,

but words can too paint a picture never caught behind the lens of a camera

the day I experienced laughter that turned into tears,

and tears that turned into laughter

the day I was no longer disturbed by the knot that got caught in my knitting

the day I decided my hair did not have to be perfectly straight

This was the day I knew that life is not alway good,

and moments are not always happy

but there's something in everything to be learned,

to be savored, to be seen, to be felt

and it's these things that shape you, make you, more beautiful

…and you grow