Human

Sometimes I feel
Like my heart is so close to the surface
Protected by nothing
Just a paper thin skin
Beating, faster and faster,
Straining to leave its cage
Always reaching for something
Always searching
Grasping
For something that slips through my fingers
Every time

But sometimes I catch a glimpse in the mirror
Of the masks that I wear
The shell that I use
To protect myself
To keep myself apart
Even from those I love

And I wonder
How I could be both of these things at once
Why there is nothing in the middle
And if one is the real me
I guess there is no answer
And that I’m not the only one
And that is part of what makes us human

Turn the Other Cheek

Pain makes us not our best selves. When they hurt us with their hands or with their mouths, we want to strike back. Fight fire with fire, help them reap what they sew, restore balance to the world. It is understandable. It is part of our nature. But we can be better.

The hate that we give is a reflection of what they gave to us. It’s what they want. It is what allows them to see us as less than human. Whether they can’t see the humanity inside others or they can’t see it inside themselves, we are just confirming their suspicion.

So transform the hate into humanity, darkness into light. When they give you hate, give them love. Because when they look into the mirror, we want them to see the human being inside of us and remember that no matter how deep it is buried, there is a human inside of them.