Quitting Surviving, Starting Living

Getting ready for the day is always a hassle, we can all agree on that. Wake up, get dressed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, leave for school/work. So, why was it different this time? Ryker went through all the motions but somehow it- meant something now. Fall is finally arriving and the leaves are changing and dying. It's not a sad death though. It is

more like a re-birth, see, the leaves fall and land on the ground, and when they decompose the

tree uses that nutrients to grow and flourish. Before, getting ready for the day to Ryker meant getting ready to do the same thing over again as yesterday. Eventually, he got tired of it and turned to his friend Google for suggestions on how to make life more interesting. One of the first things that popped up was consciously being kind to people all day. Okay simple task. Our friend woke up and made an extra piece of toast for his brother's breakfast before school. He said hi to people who were normally overlooked in the halls. Once back home he played with his little sister more willingly than usual. Done, checked off the list. Next was to do something different, no matter how small, each day than the day before. Something changeable in Ryker's routine... why not use a different toothbrush, then wear a hat to work, then on and on.

About a month after keeping up with a bunch of those habits Ryker woke up to his alarm and was excited? Maybe not excited but definitely something other than the usual dismal feeling. It meant something to him now, to wake up and not be in pain like some people, to wake up and be able to get ready and accomplish things without help. It is definitely not a big change, no definitely not, but it's a start to living, rather than simply surviving.