Stay.

A poem for those who are struggling with anxiety and depression.
A poem for those who struggle to stay.
This poem can be found in my book, Walk A Little Slower.

Stay.

Today all I can say is 
stay. 

Stay. 

And I know that may not be easy to hear and this one word might bring fear, but stay. 

Stay for the sunsets and sunrises and surprises that do somersaults straight into your soul.

Stay for the sequels and prequels because you never know if Space Jam 2 will be a bust or beautiful.

Stay for the reunions and weddings and re-runs of King of Queens and Freaks and Geeks.

Stay for viral videos of animals doing only what we thought they could do in our dreams.

Stay to take another step with grace.

Stay to wake to another day that could be the best day.

Stay to shake the slumber of your sleeping self.

Stay for confetti cake, because confetti cake is good.

Stay. 

And I know.

I know, today is hard. 

And tomorrow might be too.

But move closer to see the beauty found within all that has come to be.

Let the light shine through all the cracks, scars, and questions. 

And stay. 

And I know there are days when the last thing you want to do is stay, but if you stay for today then I’ll see you tomorrow. 

And tomorrow is worth staying for.

And maybe tomorrow we can have some confetti cake.

With hope,

Tanner Olson

About the Author

Tanner Olson is an author, poet, speaker, and podcaster living in Nashville, Tennessee.

He is the author of I’m All Over the Place, As You Go, Walk A Little Slower, and Continue: Poems and Prayers of Hope.

You can find Tanner Olson’s books on Amazon.

His podcast is The Walk A Little Slower Podcast with Tanner Olson and can be found wherever you listen to podcasts.

Tanner Olson travels around the country sharing poetry, telling stories, and delivering messages of hope.

You can follow Tanner Olson on Instagram (@writtentospeak) and Facebook where you’ll daily find encouraging words of faith and hope.