With the Fire on High

by Elizabeth Acevedo

And sometimes focusing on what you can control is the only way to lessen the pang in your chest when you think about the things you can’t.

“I think you should write about the one that scares you most. Taking risks and making choices in spite of fear—it’s what makes our life story compelling.”

But we all make choices about people. Who we want to hold close, who we want to remain in our lives, and who we are just fine without.

The world is a turntable that never stops spinning; as humans we merely choose the tracks we want to sit out and the ones that inspire us to dance.

I know the past isn’t a mirror image of the future, but it’s a reflection of what can be; and when your first love breaks your heart, the shards of that can still draw blood for a long, long time.