Happy 18th birthday to you. I know it’s hard to be grieving and you feel too empty to celebrate anything. I feel like I went through all the pain just to be here to guide you through this, exactly 20 years later in an eerily similar situation. You asked me, how did I cope. I had no magic answer for you. First, give it time. Second, art. Use your art to grief. Use your art to lift others. Life is an interesting thing. It’s not linear; everything and everyone is intertwined in a mysterious way. The hug I gave you was a hug that my 17-year-old self had wanted. So, thank YOU. Go celebrate. And not just a birthday. Celebrate life. . 1st image: 2017, #procreate 2nd image: 2006, #acrylic . . . .

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