7 days to go...

...And my emotions are being yanked all over the place. Black Belt Journey posters have been going up all over DeSantos. I've been reading all the posters that my teammates have come up with to express somehow, in words and pictures, just how much this journey we are all on means to them. At times, I'll laugh as they note a shared memory, feel incredibly proud when they mention something they've overcome, feel a sense of wonder at the poem on Sir Winston's board, and generally spend my time this close to tears. Below are the lyrics to one of my favourite songs that pretty much sum up how I feel about my teammates and instructors.

Marianas Trench
Beside You

When your tears are spent on your last pretense
And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense.
When it's in your spine like you've walked for miles
And the only thing you want is just to be still for a while

Oh waaii oh waaii oh oooo
Oh waaii oh waaii oh oooo

If your heart wears thin I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you
I am right be right beside you

When you're overwhelmed and you've lost your breath
When the space between the things you know is blurry nonetheless.
When you try to speak but you make no sound
And the words you want are out of reach but they've never been so loud
If your heart wears thin I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you
I am right be right beside you

I will stay.
Nobody will break you,
Yeah.

Trust in me, trust in me.
Don't pull away
Trust in me, trust in me.
I'm just trying to keep this together, because I could do worse and you could do better

Tears are spent on your last pretense
And your tired eyes refuse to close and sleep in your defense.

If your heart wears thin I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you
Nobody will break you

If your heart wears thin I will hold you up
And I will hide you when it gets too much
I'll be right beside you
Nobody will break you.

[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/m/marianas_trench/beside_you.html ]