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the day i turned seventeen was the first day of the year i drove with the ceiling window down i let the new spring air caress my skin i breathed in the scents of the earth i looked over at my boyfriend and he was still so beautiful

my family took me to dinner my mother gave me flowers and a vanilla raspberry cake i went to sleep that night filled with joy that the world aligned the seasons with my special day

the next morning was the first morning all year i awoke to the birds singing my heart was warm i could not go back to sleep

i knew for the first time in a long time the world was treating me okay