Our earliest childhood memories often play a hefty formative role. When young and impressionable, it can mean a lot. Who defends us? Who encourages us? Who keeps us going and who sets us straight? Those key moments, giving us our inner strengths and slipperiest vulnerabilities… How do we push past them? How do we become that beacon of humanity, when from the start we were the voice of reason and love, shining bright enough to leave us dizzy? Truth be told, we may have missed out on much of the beauty beyond our lashes.

While I was barely able to walk, donning diaper and drool, my own grandmother would threaten my mother on booze-branded rants. A familial tyrant was no missed familiarity to me. I walked right between them in the kitchen, despite my sister’s pleading warning not to intervene. Standing there, beating back my wobbling limb whims, I told off my grandmother. “Don’t hurt my mom.” She still took the cake… to the face. What a scene that was, creamy countenance and all.

I never was my grandmother’s favorite kid. No, that title went to my sister. Heck, one day, when it finally came to light that grandma had remarried, my sister hesitated a pride, “Yeah, they got married six years ago.”

No, we mustn’t rely on others to grant our gold. Do what you can to distinguish yourself in your field. Do what you can and it’ll be okay to lose track of yourself. Everythink’s a lesson. Everydo’s a dream. Keep moving, keep dreaming, keep being.