Lemonade Poem by Mariella Nicholas

Life isn't easy
Life will push you down every chance it gets, and spit in your face when you try to get back up
Life will torment you with things you'll never get, chances you'll never be offered
Life will throw you to the wolves, and make you battle your way out with a "lemon" as if you want to do anything with it other than squeeze it in Life's eyes
Life will push you into the dirt, relentlessly beating you so hard you forget what it feels like to be at peace
And as you get older, you start to see just how hard living is
You start to see just how many people are begging for scraps how many people can't afford a roof over their head
Life is not forgiving
Life is not tender or caring
Life is not nice
But Life is kind
Life is beautiful yet deadly
Life is everything you ever wanted, and everything you don't
Life is hard, yes, and there will be so many moments where you want to give up and throw away what little worth you think you have
But if you never hit rock bottom, how will you improve?
If you give up, how will you know that you are capable of doing great things?
If you never stand back up, how will you know how much you've grown from your struggles when you do?
So yes, Life is hard
But to be able to see how much you've changed in the face of the strain and the never-ending battlefield that is living?
That is the why we do it
That is why we push ourselves to do better
That is why we fight for our lives, whether you're wearing a uniform or not
That is why, one day, we might be able to take those lemons that life gave us and make them into lemonade,
Just so you and I can relish the flavor that is our success