I Miss that Friend of Mine

I pass through a door
a small, red door
the room is dark
I cannot make out anything around me
I hear a voice saying, "open it"
I feel hesitant
but I open it anyway
I'm suddenly outside
It's warm and sunny
I feel a warm breeze
I can smell fresh flowers
I can hear the birds
I hear the trees rustle as the wind blows through them
Beyond me, I hear echoes of small children laughing
I hear adults talking
I hear dogs barking
I walk closer
I hear a voice saying, "speak with me"
It's too bright to see anything clearly
I feel a small hand take mine
the small voice says, "come with me, I'd like to speak with you"
I am lead away from the sounds of spring and fun
I am now alone, with this small child
I can see
I am looking at myself as a child
He says, "I knew you'd make it"
I cannot speak
"I don't have much time, so, listen closely..." my younger self said
"Believe in yourself. You will get through the trials to come. I know, because I'm there with you and have been this whole time. I'm always there."
I still cannot speak but I'm suddenly flooded with memories of childhood, the good and the bad.
"Yes, remember those?" he said
"Remember how we were dealt such a bad hand in life, but we turned it around? You made it. I know you've been struggling, but you've had worse times. Please, believe in yourself more?"
I can suddenly speak
"What does this mean?" I ask
"It means that I need you to persevere! You need to survive because you're a survivor, and that's all we've done."
He starts fading...
"But what do I need to do?"
As he fades away, he says one last thing: "Trust in yourself, and you'll find the answer...survive this life, so many people need you, but more importantly, YOU need yourself. Try not to forget that."
I awake in a half-lit room
I open the curtains to let the sun shine through, eliminating the darkness in my life