Hold on, we’re going home…

My friends, my companions, my brave soldiers  of Life. We shared the pain, persistence, adventures and confusion. We sailed through horrible years of learning through mistakes and experience. It was an unpleasant journey, though not without bright, encouraging moments. There were obstacles but also solutions. We climbed and we pushed forward, not really knowing where the goal lies, or even if we are heading in the right direction. For this I congratulate us all.

We made mistakes, but we faced them all without remorse or regret, only ever looking forward. This was not always easy, I know; facing the uncertainty when the pain of the previous events is still fresh; ignoring the hurt and pacing forward with faith in ourselves and our mission.

For many years we shared this reality. In some ways it became our essence, it attached itself to the way we see the world and ourselves in it, filtering our own true nature; sometimes even hiding it completely for moments. But we were here for each other, one friend reminding the other about forgotten truths, over and over again.

This is why we are here now, torn and bruised, but intact and whole. This is why we can look forward to tomorrow and not cry about yesterday. This is why we are still capable of laughter and friendship and closeness and love; why after all these trials and tests, we remain loyal and inquisitive about the beauty that lies ahead.

Hold on, my friends, my brothers and sisters; my companions and my soulmates – we are going home!

From now on, each day we’ll be one step closer, not further away. The end of our journey, or rather, the beginning of the real one we were heading to, is near. There will be more hard days, I promise you that. But with every step you will feel the winds of our home blow stronger on your faces. The memories forgotten will be the thoughts you wake up with. The joy buried deep under the sorrow of defeats we faced in the past will shine brighter, until there is nothing else left.

So, brace yourselves for bad days to come, but prepare to abandon your inner guards and defences. Soon, you will not need them and they will become nothing but a burden that prevents you from enjoying your accomplishments fully. This also might prove to be a difficult battle, just as building these guards was when we needed them. But I am confident, as I have been through this entire journey, that we can and will succeed, together.

More than that, I will make sure we do!
Hold on, we’re going home.