Lessons & Reminders

A lesson that I've already learned but that the world seems determined to remind me of today, is that the world is filled with people who will take one look at you and assume they know the whole story. There are people who are determined to misunderstand or mishear you, and it doesn't matter what you say or how you say it, because they've already made up their minds about you and who they think you are based off of a single encounter, or a first impression, or a misread statement. There are people who will belittle and dehumanize you because your voice is scary to them or because they don't like what you're saying. There are a million reasons people, especially strangers, will use to be cruel.

 Because it's easy to be cruel. It's hard to be kind.

 And yet-

 There are people out there who will take the hard road. Who will, even knowing that it will be a steep climb and a cold journey, still take the time to learn your soul. People who will grab onto you and keep their hold through every type of storm you can imagine.

 And today has been hard. Because I'm thinking about how scared I am for the future and I'm thinking about the negative words people have thrown at me lately and I'm thinking about how much I miss my grandmother, and why is life so harsh on us? So what I'm reminding myself today is that there are so many amazing people in my life, there are so many gifts and tiny moments of light and love that I've been given.

 So how selfish and idiotic and downright petty would I have to be to compare the good and the bad and somehow let myself believe, even for a second, that the bad wins?

 So here's my challenge to you, for today, for this week, for this year: tell the people you love that you love them. Tell your reflection that you love yourself, too. Take solace in the silent moments you spend alone and in every comforting movement and smile that fill the ones you spend with others.

 Look at the cruel people of this broken, ugly, idiot world, and love them. It's the only true power you have.

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