A Question From a Friend

recently i was asked a question by a friend. a question that made me ponder
as i feel asleep each night and woke up each morning, this question stayed with me, floating in the back of my mind. each time i smiled or ate a quiet breakfast with a book or struggled
over an essay. at some point, or maybe a collection of points, a litany of moments, i discovered
that i had an answer.
here it is.

What are you going to do?
                What am I going to do?
well, i am going to live the way that i want to live. i am going to dance and sing and laugh.
i will probably also be laughed at.
i am going to brighten someone's day by sharing with them a secret smile, though i may not know them.
i am going to love and be loved.
i am going to run outside at the first drop of the first spring rain fall, without my rain boots on. then, i will turn my face to the sky and catch the first drops of a new season on my tongue.
i am going to be sad, watch my face get runny in the bathroom mirror as i begin to cry. but i will feel better soon.
i am going to listen to music that makes me sing along, loud, with the car windows down. i will hear the symphony of the everyday.
i am going to tell secrets with my brothers under the summer sun. i will watch the stars. i will say good morning to the people i meet.
i am going to hibernate in the cocoon of my blankets on winter nights and listen to the roar of the wind.
i am going to do well in school. i will make my family proud.
i am going to live life without regrets. well, i will regret saying that. but i can always try.
i am going to find my friends and hold them close. and always tell everyone what they mean to me. while i can.
i am going to let happiness into my life, even on the cloudy days.
i am going to do the best i can. it may not always be the right thing, but i can apologize.
i am going to live the way that i want to live.
you should too.