When I am stressed, I want chocolate and/or french fries. I keep trying to convince myself when I am stressed that I really want a green salad, but no, deep down, I want chocolate or french fries. As I have struggled with the stress the last couple weeks, I have (pretty successfully) fought the urge to eat those things, and instead have eaten them in moderation or not at all. I have listened to my Fitbit when it tells me to take a walk, and I’ve tried to be more cognizant of self-care.

All of that took a hike today when I snagged a small piece of Dove chocolate. I unwrapped the piece of chocolate, and as I always do with Dove, I stopped to read the note inside.

And that little note almost drove me to my knees, and it made me sit and cry. No, not everyone gets a happy ending! Sam didn’t get that happy ending. He didn’t get to hold that niece he so wanted to meet in his arms. He didn’t get to see his baby brother shine in Anon and Inevitable. He didn’t get to grow old loving, laughing, living. And now with our newest journey, it is hard to find the potential happy ending.

Once I dried my tears, and took a lot of deep breaths, I realized that it is up to us to make our own happy ending, and that is done through love — because no matter what, I believe that love is all that matters. So if we have love, we have happy endings.