You flawed human over there.
Yes, you. I’m talking to you.
You, who just called me a piece of shit. Whose political views I disagree with. You, who might judge me, dislike me, be disgusted by who I am, how I feel, or what I do.
You human being, ugly with hatred, bitter with fear and alienation and loneliness, isolated by your desire to be right.
You creature of flesh-and-blood, who might be a murderer or a school teacher, a Democrat or a Republican, an atheist or a Christian, homeless or wealthy, angry or sad, selfish or selfless, weak or strong, feminist or misogynist, rich or poor, privileged or repressed.
I love you, I respect you. I’m here for you. We may struggle to connect with each other, because our egos are great and our language is messy. We may stir great anger or fear in each other, because our hearts are strong and our souls burn bright with passion. We may disagree on things we hold dear. We may be tempted to hate, to scream, to run, to denounce.
I love you, I accept you. We breath the same air. We sleep. We shit. We cry when the loneliness is too much. We laugh when the absurdity of life hits us. We are unique, but we are the same. We were not created equal, but we deserve equal respect.
If you hurt me, I will still protect you. I may withdraw to a safe distance. I will still help you when I can.
If you hate me, I will still respect you. I may not invite you to my parties anymore. I will still love you.
If you abandon me, I will still wish you well. I may weep for your absence, or move on in my life. I will still be here for you. Always, until oblivion takes me.
If you kill me, I will still look you in the eye and accept your humanity. I, being human, may succumb to anger, or grief, or fear, or despair. I will still be like you. We are pieces of the same whole. We are all Buddha. We are inseparable. My death is your death. Your murder is my murder.
I’m sorry for all the times I wasn’t good enough. I’m sorry for being too afraid to reach out. For being too angry to listen. Too depressed to care. Too confident to see the truth. Too stubborn to do what was right. Too lonely to keep you company. Too happy to see your sadness.
My guilt is not your burden. Forgiving me is not your responsibility. My apology is worthless if it serves only to make me feel better. My grief is not an excuse for me to give up.
If you ever need a hug, you can come find me. If you ever need to vent, I’ll listen. I’m imperfect, too. Some days I’ll be too selfish to help others. Some days I’ll be too idealistic to help myself. In the end, I hope it balances out.
Hey, you. Fellow human. Lying, cheating, loving, crying.
I trust you.
