A Brother's Advice

One day, my older brother was giving me a ride somewhere. It was a few years ago, but the memory is incredibly vivid. He suddenly pulled over, turned off the gas, and looked at me. It was a bit random, and I was very funcuzed.
Then he turned to me, his huge blue eyes piercing right through my body. "Let me give you a piece of advice," he said.
This was all very weird, because he's not the "let's randomly have a really deep conversation" type. At first, i thought he was about to crack some sort of joke (he does do that a lot.)
"Seriously," he continued, a bit awkwardly, his hands still gripping the steering wheel, "if you never remember a single other word i say, just remember this: If you are feeling so low down, so lost, if you feel that things can't possibly get any worse, then they have to start getting better."
It seems like a simple statement, but it's not. it is something so profound, so uplifting, that i have found myself returning to this memory again and again, every time i'm feeling down.

because it gives me hope.

my brother has gone through a whole lot. i'm not going into details, of course, but trust me on this one. on that car ride, i suddenly glimpsed the one thought that kept him going throughout it all. my brother is strong. this is why.
"if things can't get any worse, they have to start getting better."
I'm an optimist at heart, but sometimes, when you're lost in the darkness, it's easy to give up. but whenever i return to my brother's words, i feel renewed strength. it reminds me of one of my favorite quotes of all time:

"WHEN IT GETS DARK ENOUGH, YOU CAN SEE THE STARS."

-LEE SALK