I Believe

I believe in long, drenching downpours of rain that soak you through to the bone, leaving you in a shivering bout of ecstasy as you rush inside. I believe that dogs truly are a man’s (or a woman’s) best friend, that nature has its own song, that we’re all one candle short of candelabra.

I believe that poetry is the greatest form of writing and shouldn’t be taken for granted because of its ubiquity. I believe it isn’t fair for children to be smarter than their parents, that you shouldn’t be shunned for what you fear, just understood, that all animals talk in their own special ways, that we, alone, can never achieve world peace.

I believe the end of the world is nigh, that there’s a chance we’re “not alone”, that there’s something to laugh about in everything. I believe that laughter is the best medicine. I believe in love at second sight, and third, and fourth. I believe in second chances. I believe that we choose our own soul mates, that we’re not predestined, that there’s something to love in everyone.

I believe that the Bible is for the Christian as the thesaurus is for the Writer. I believe that school should focus more on the arts instead of sports. I believe we should have Sustained Silent Reading in every class, that spiders are nuisances.

I believe that, though disastrous, cyclones truly are a blessing for they bring everyone together to care for the injured and fix the destruction it left behind. I believe that tornadoes are beautiful and fascinating. I believe that darkness is the cover of iniquity. I believe that no one deserves to be alone.

I believe in being afraid of the dark. I believe that monsters do exist. I believe everyone should experience love. I believe that everyone falls in love at least once in their lifetime.

I believe in sipping soothing, hot, sugary cocoa on a cold winter’s day. I believe in building snowmen out of dirt and still calling it a snowman. I believe that the mind is a precious thing and that too many people take it for granted. I believe that talents should be expressed, not suppressed.

I believe most of us hide our insecurities in laughter. I believe those of us who seem nonchalant are suppressing a hurt that can never be cured. I believe that the rain is the best form of a shower, that thunder and lightning aren’t seen for their pulchritude, but for their ability to frighten.

I believe in staring up at the night sky. I believe in requited love. I believe that a picture tells a million words. I believe in being intimidated, in falling in love at no sight. I believe in being yourself regardless of what others think. I believe in swimming against the current, in walking up the down escalator, in overanalyzing everything.

I believe in trying to find a place in life. I believe in crying over nothing, in laughing when you’re sad. I believe in thinking about nothing in particular, in daydreaming at work. I believe smiles are well spent and well given. I believe that my dog smiles at me when I pet her, and loves me unconditionally. I believe animals sense the truth in everyone. I believe that my dog listens to me when I talk to her and tells me her opinion in her own way.

I believe that parents would understand if they knew how. I believe in running through the grass barefoot on a summer day as the sprinklers drench me with water. I believe in being a child again. I believe that when someone says they hate someone, deep down they truly love them and wish to know them. I believe in standing up for yourself even if the odds are against you.

I believe in writing a song with my heart and giving it to someone I hold dear. I believe in striving to be my best, even when I'm at my worst. I believe that crying isn’t a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength, for it takes guts to let everyone else see you cry...