Life has a way of sending you small, quiet reminders that hope is still there, even when it feels like everything has gone dark. After a long period of sadness, I’ve started to notice these little moments, these postcards from the universe that seem to say, “Keep going. There’s still beauty to be found.”

One evening, I was sitting by my window, feeling the familiar weight of sadness. The sky was a deep blue, the kind that held onto the last light of day, and the moon was already up. As I watched, an airplane flew right across the sky, passing in front of the moon in a perfect, fleeting moment. It was such a simple thing, but it filled me with a quiet hope, a reminder that even in the midst of darkness, there’s still light. It felt like the world was telling me that no matter how heavy the sadness, there’s always room for wonder, for something unexpected and beautiful to catch you off guard and pull you back into the moment.

This realization has been creeping up on me slowly, like the first light of dawn after a long, sleepless night. I’ve started to see that love isn’t always about grand gestures or dramatic moments. It’s in the small things, the ones that often go unnoticed. Love is in the way friends show up when you need them, even when you don’t ask. Like when a friend brought me cookies one day. It wasn’t much, just a small act of kindness, but it meant the world to me. It was a reminder that I’m not as alone as I sometimes feel and that there are people out there who care in ways I might not always see.

I’ve been reconnecting with old friends, too, the ones who’ve known me through all the ups and downs, who remind me of the parts of myself I’ve lost touch with. There’s something comforting about falling back into those old conversations, where words flow easily, and laughter comes without effort. It’s like finding a part of yourself you didn’t realize was missing.

Then there was that walk with my boyfriend, a simple stroll through our neighborhood, passing by a building we’d walked past a hundred times before. But this time, we stopped. I noticed something I’d never seen before—a small fountain with fish swimming peacefully in the water. It was a beautiful detail in a place I thought I knew so well, and it reminded me that there’s always something new to discover, even in the familiar. My boyfriend was surprised that I hadn’t noticed the fountain before; he said it had been there forever. It made me realize how easy it is to overlook the beauty in the every day, to miss out on the little things that make life so rich.

Lately, I’ve been feeling hopeful again. The sadness that used to take up so much space in my life is still there, but it doesn’t feel as heavy anymore. It’s like a shadow that lingers in the background but doesn’t dominate the scene. I’m starting to find joy in the little things—the fridge magnets that tell the story of where I’ve been, a note from a friend that makes me smile, the excitement of trying a new ice cream flavor, or the simple pleasure of catching up with my best friend. These moments are love’s gentle way of saying, “I’m here, and so are you.”

There’s a subtle magic in these small moments, in the everyday acts of kindness and beauty that make life worth living. I think about the time I discovered a new spot on a familiar path or the way a simple kiss on the forehead from someone you love can make everything feel right, even if just for a moment. These are the postcards of life, the little reminders that love comes in many forms. It’s in the mundane and the extraordinary, in the things we often overlook until we pause and truly see them.

I’m starting to believe that I deserve happiness after all the sadness, self-doubt, and darkness. I’m learning that sadness doesn’t last forever. It’s a part of life, yes, but so is hope, and so is love. 

So here’s to the little things, to the moments that catch you off guard and remind you of the beauty in the world. Here’s to believing that sadness doesn’t last forever. And here’s to hoping that, after everything, we all deserve the good that life has to offer. Because love, in all its forms, is what makes this journey worth taking.