Let the weight of the moment, in its fullness, rest squarely on your shoulders.
Do not try to lessen the load. Do not try to brush it aside with the same ease with which you flip your hair over your shoulder.
Let your muscles scream at you, if only for a moment.
Feel the straining in your arms, the tremble in your legs.
Let it remind you that you are human. And that this is what it feels like.
Forget to breathe for a moment. And then remember.
Taste the air as it passes through your mouth.
Know that this is what is keeping you alive.
Marvel at it.
Give yourself a moment. Alone. Take it all in.
While the world continues to move around you, be still.
Be aware that your very existence is, in and of itself, a juxtaposition.
Now that you have caught your breath, stand taller.
Push open the door and let the familiar scent wash over you like a wave.
Do not be afraid of drowning here.
Acknowledge that you had forgotten what it was like.
Feel the ache of longing. Knowing that you missed it deeply.
Let tears come to your eyes.
Do not be afraid of the emotions that you feel.
It is okay if the tears flow endlessly, streaking your face.
And it is okay if they cannot seem to move past your eyelashes.
Know that this place is sacred.
Feel the history in the walls.
Think about how small you are.
Smile.
The time that you spent away from this place was hard.
Let that be true.
Think of how you have changed since the last time your shoes touched this floor.
Let the good and the bad and the somewhere in between fall together until you cannot tell the difference anymore.
Take a step forward.
Dive deeper into the future and the past.
Remember the time you spent here.
Remember your laughter over here.
Remember the tears you cried over there.
Remember how deeply you felt both of those moments. How permanent they felt.
Laugh at yourself.
Be amazed at the wide range of what you are capable of feeling.
Let your mind wander to the memories that you will make here.
You have more time.
It is so precious.
When you wrap your arms around the people in this place, be gentle.
It has been so long they do not seem real. You do not want to touch them for fear
that they might disappear altogether.
Let yourself scream the excitement that you feel on the inside.
Be a little too loud.
Clap. Dance. Sing.
Find ways to let your body be what you feel inside.
Remember that there was a time when it felt as though you would never return to
this place.
Be in awe of the fact that you are here now.
All this time you have just been fighting to get back to this place.
You are exhausted.
Close your eyes.
Rest.
You are here.
You are here.
AMV