When darkness comes...

Adam, one day you’ll read through this journal of your childhood, of your life really, and it would be easy to imagine that the world you grew up in was nothing but love, laughter, beach trips, and Hokie tailgate parties, but one of the hardest things I’ll ever teach you is that in fact there is tragedy in this world. 

There will be tough times and things will happen that you won’t understand, and that’s ok, because none of us can truly understand why these things happen. 

All you really need to know is that at the end of the day, there will always be light that comes from dark.  Some of the greatest moments you’ll witness will shine right through the darkness.  A dear friend of mine who is dealing with an indescribable darkness calls these dark moments the “hard things.”  You’ll face a lot of hard things in your life Adam, and I hate that I can’t keep that from happening, but it’s the hard things that make us stronger and that make the love, laughter, beach trips and Hokie tailgate parties that much sweeter. 

Your favorite song of the moment is “Shake it Out” by Florence and the Machine.  I love that you love this song, and I hope you’ll look to the lyrics when the hard things and the darkness come…

“Shake it out , Shake it Out… Shake it out, Shake it out…and it’s hard to dance with the Devil on your back, so shake him off….Shake it out, Shake it out…it’s always darkest before the dawn…”