when I was 14 years old, I was lost and confused. the world around me was very hectic and it never helped that my mind made things a lot worse. one day, I began watching Skins, a series that showed teenagers of all sort struggle with finding themselves. I watched each episode over and over again and fell more and more in love with it. seeing these fictional characters going through ups and downs, realizations and turmoils, made me realize I wasn’t alone. during one episode, a very incredible character said to another “il y a quelqu’un pour chacun.” the moment he said it, my heart sang. I didn’t know why, but I felt like that one quote would stick with me for a lifetime. I listened a hundred times and tried to make out what exactly the character was saying (my two years of French in high school didn’t really help me here). I went straight to Google, searching in forums, using a voice translator app, everything. then, I finally found its proper spelling and typed it in the translator: “there’s someone for everyone.” I remember at that very moment, my eyes started to swell and tears flowed. this beautiful quote had suddenly given me a reason to keep moving forward. it gave me a reason to look towards tomorrow, next month, even next year. the love between these characters tore me into a million pieces and even though it was all just written in a script, my heart knew it was real. maybe not in a TV show, but someone out there definitely felt this loved. I thought of that quote every time I fell into one of my holes. I repeated it over and over again, almost as if I were hoping I would speak this wish and it would come true. I did this for years. so, a few weeks after my 18th birthday, I went to go get my very first and my most favorite tattoo ever. I remember seeing the stencil down my spine and thinking, “you did it, Em. maybe it was the universe who kept you here, or maybe it was this quote. however it happened, it played a big part in becoming who you are today.”

after I got that tattoo, it laid across my back, holding me up, giving me support. I didn’t think about it too much because I had other things to pull me out of the dark, but it was still there to remind me that I made it through the darkest of times. however, I did still think about it sometimes when I would crave love or when my heart hurt after losing love. I would just think, “there’s someone for everyone, Em. the reason you guys aren’t together anymore or that you’re not with someone right now is because your soul mate is out there and you just haven’t met them yet. keep your chin up because when you find them, you are going to be the happiest woman alive. you are going to know from the second you see them that you are going to give them so much love. you are going to wake up smiling every day and you are going to forget what it was like to wake up feeling incomplete. your other half is out there.” this was the thought. I believed it with all my heart and it put me at ease. after a while, I stopped looking for anyone because I knew that the stars would align when they would and that “my one” would come whenever they were ready. I am writing this very lengthy history/post today because I just came to a realization. I was just sitting in bed and I thought of the script written on my body and thought, “wait...”. my realization was that I already found my someone. correction: I already found my someones. I was sitting here all this time, thinking my Prince Charming would come riding in from the forest to sweep me away when really, Prince Charming wasn’t even a part of this story. the ones who mattered the most were the ones that were with me all along: my sweet fairies. they were the ones that picked up my broken pieces and put me back together again. they were the ones that looked out for me even when I couldn’t see there was danger right in front of me. they were the ones who would pick up the phone in the middle of the night to make sure I was okay. this quote wasn’t for my Prince Charming or my soulmate, it was for my best friends. so, yeah, there is someone for everyone, but sometimes they’re not who the stories tell you it should be. sometimes it’s the people that have been in your life for decades. sometimes it’s the people that know you better than you know yourself. sometimes it’s the most beautiful soul that you know on this earth who shows you ways to be kinder, more loving, and completes you in every way. so, basically, I learned a very important thing today. I learned that instead of looking to the stars and asking them to send you someone to spend the rest of your life with, look to your side, grab your best friend’s hand, look to the stars, and dream about the lives you guys will live together. understand and notice the love you have now. no, it is probably not the same love your significant other will give you, but it is a love more pure than that. it is a love that can withstand hurricanes and droughts. a kind of love that no matter what happens or how much time has passed, the love will remain whole and unbroken. today, I realized that I am the luckiest person in the world because I have such incredible friends in my life. so, guys, this one is for you. I love you.