Open Closets

Happy Anniversary

Well hello everyone, here we are exactly one year after I started this book in the week from August 24 - 30. I worked non stop on this book for 5 days and I posted the first chapter on the 24th I think and I remember talking to people until 2am because of timezones putting the first chapters together. Wow its been ages. We've changed, I changed, this book changed, but not in a bad way. We are about to reach 7,5K reads which is insane and this book has 40 chapters, 40 stories, 38 people telling their stories, advice, feelings and secrets. They opened up, I opened up and it means the world to me to see all those people helping.
It means so much that we have been doing this for a year and ilyasm.
I think I saw some of the best advice I've ever seen in this book and it makes me so proud. Who said that teenagers don't care again? Bullshit. We are fucking amazing.

I started reading through all the chapters again and it's so crazy to read all of them and see how much some things relate to you or how there are a lot of things that make the stories similar to each other, but at the same time there were so many differences, I love how different we all are but still support each other, that we are there for each other even thiugh we live on the other side of the world. This book is so colorful and so many people wrote stories for it and I couldn't thank you enough. There were people who told me they couldn't write a chapter because they weren't ready who came to me months later asking me if they could participate, people who ask me, after they read the book or people who shared their story but wanting to keep it anonymous. I asked so many people and I got so many kind and sweet messages back telling me that they would love to help and how much they admire our work. I can't being how much it means to me to see everyone working together.

One of the things said in one chapter was If you know someone who's struggling, in real life or online, give them some support. Sometimes just a simple message with a smiley face can change someone's day around. And that's what I wanna do right now, I want to show you how many wonderful chapters and messages I got in this year, with the next few chapters, I will update a chapter everyday from the 24-28th, (I hope I can actually do this, I won't have WiFi for those exact days so I will go to an coffee shop or something, wish me luck) and share quotes from all the chapters and maybe some behind the scenes stories. Some will be inspiring and some will be sassy maybe even sad but idk yet. I hope you will share with us your favorite stories too, I barely have any comments on this book and it would be really cool to start convesations. We had happy and heart breaking chapters in this book and I can't describe how proud I am of this book. Even the saddest stories had a good side, we shared our stories to help others, so that nobody needs to feel alone and it helps, it helps me and I had messages before from people thanking me. I'm so glad that even after the most heartbreaking texts I could write something like this message, This texts is really beautiful, it's sad but beautiful. I almost cried reading the beginning and middle but the end made me actually cry and smile, because even though you went through all that shit, you don't want to be pitted, you just want to help people, you want to be there for them and support them. And I admire you for that. Thank you. All the authors kept fighting and never gave up, some of them even an year after still my friends, some strangers I check on sometimes when I feel like it. I still have an connection to these people even though I might never have talked to them again. We have this project together and maybe it makes other peoples lives a bit easier. If you ever feel alone or unwanted look at the sky and remember that the people who feel the same way, care about you, love you and support you look at the same sky. You are not alone. We are here and we will always support you. A few days ago someone ask me if I will finish this book or if this is an process and I told her that yes its a process and I won't end it until I don't have any chapters anymore for a few months or if there is no room for more chapters. I will try to continue this as long as possible. I love this book and it makes so many people and me happy. It always makes my day when I see the notifications or if I get messages about it. Thank you lovelies for this amazing year.