Try to remember—even though it will often be difficult, especially as the stresses mount and the anxiety grows—none of it is real. This house of mirrors, this endless labyrinth, this elaborate con: it is a game designed to distract us from what matters. Close your eyes—and breathe slowly, deeply. Remember a beautiful moment, a meaningful embrace, the shimmer of another human being basking in your return. Think about what it meant, and why.

Feel it in your blood cells. A spark in your core, the nucleus of your soul. You are stronger than anyone else can imagine.

Open your eyes. Look up at the sky. Feel the wind and listen to the birds. Breathe.

Remember what you’re fighting for.

-gj