Prepare yourself, my child.

Facing towards an open road, a chilly spring day, the warmth of the sun on my face, and an overwhelming sense of familiarity with this place. Beautiful trees with freshly bloomed leaves paint the sides of the road, creating a beautiful arch of mother nature’s gifts. I stand alone, but for a moment, I hear footsteps approaching when suddenly they come to a halt.

“Excuse me?” It’s a young voice, yet it’s so familiar. “Can you help me? I don’t know where I am.” I turn to face the young man, and standing in front of me is a teenager with long shaggy hair, blue eyes, and a smile shining brighter than the sun. The young man I am facing is my younger self. “Can you help me?” he repeats once more. Shocked, the only words I can utter are, “It’s been a while.” The young man looks at me, puzzled, sauntering and steps closer to me. He looks deep into my eyes, steps back and realizes, “You’re me….” I nod, trying to understand why this is happening and where I am.

The young man, just as confused as I was, “Why are you here? How is this even possible?” I genuinely didn’t have an answer, but I asked, “Why don’t we go for a bit of a walk? Maybe we can figure this out together.” He nods, and we begin walking.

“So, how are things at school and with Cara?” I asked. “Well, school is school, and Cara is great! I love her so much. We spend every day together, basically glued at the hip! Do we marry her?” he asked. I smiled but felt tears in my eyes. “Unfortunately not. You make a big mistake in a few years that cost us something beautiful with a gorgeous woman who made us very happy.” The young man stops, “What do you mean a mistake? She’s the love of my life; why would I mess that up?” My statement made him upset. I turn to him, “There are a lot of mistakes that we’re going to make in this life that bring us to where we are now. It’s a long and painful process, but we have an amazing life.” The young man begins to weep, “Without her?” I calmly nod and place my hand on his shoulder. “Unfortunately, yes. How things ended between us, I still regret to this day, but it had to happen. If it didn’t, we wouldn't get to where we are now.” Angrily he screams, “Why would I fuck that up? Why? I would never do anything to hurt her!” I take a deep breath and slowly exhale, “You will learn in life things change quickly, and sometimes the things that seem eternal are the things that change the most. It happens, and it’s okay to be upset, but we need to acknowledge that it happened and move on.”

The young man sits on the side of the road with a look of confusion and fear. I sit next to him, “I understand it's upsetting, but there are things I’ve wanted to say to you for a long time.” He looks up at me in tears, “Like what? What could you tell me that would make this better?” I wipe them away, “While you will spend a lot of time trying to find the love she gave you, many people will love you in ways she never could. We don’t grow intimate relationships or date these people, but they become your family and love you unconditionally no matter what. I’ve wanted to tell you that everything you’ve been doing leads us to where we are now, and don’t ever feel ashamed for the things you’ve wanted to try because someone tells you it’s wrong. I’m proud of you, and thank you for being such a large part of why I explored the paths I did.” I put my hand on his shoulder, "Don't ever stop being yourself. Be the person you want to be, not the one you feel you should be, okay?" The young man reaches over and hugs me, "As much as it hurts, thank you for making it better" he said.

I help him to his feet and shake his hand, "If I knew a way out, I would gladly help you, but I don't, unfortunately." He smiles, "It's okay! I think I know where to go! Thank you! Do me a favour and wake up, okay?" I suddenly sit up; I'm in bed. I look around the room to see the rays of sunlight cutting through the blinds, the birds chirping, and cars driving around the streets below. I sit there for a minute or two, processing the dream I just had and realizing I helped to heal my younger self which still exists and lives in my soul. I feel light, happy and ready to take on the day. Let's make the most of it for us.