More Than What We Can See

 As we talked, I felt the warmth of a person with such a good heart. They had been beat up so much emotionally that they doubted who they were. They doubted their self-worth. Their life had been hard since their first breath. Yet, they continued to move forward step by step, day by day and finally, year by year until they were able to escape their own prisons of pain. Meeting them, holding a conversation, you would never guess how deep their pain and sorrow was. As the tears flowed and I heard the details of their life and how a fight happened daily inside of them just to survive, I began realizing how easy it could be for someone to hide inside themselves and not let anyone in. How struggling to stay safe can sometimes mean making yourself small enough that you can hide in the shadows in order to not bring any attention to yourself. On occasion, it's the person that's the loudest and who seems to be the most dangerous that is scared the most. They are the ones who portray to be the toughest and the craziest in order to keep danger and possible permanent injuries away from themselves. If they don't talk to others or even make a doubt appear that they could have, then the chances of being blamed for telling all the secrets becomes less and their safety blanket is made. 

We all are different and are made as individuals for many reasons. Some of us can get lost and start to become judgy or critical of others when we don't even start to know how their mornings begin. We don't know how lunch is served or if it is served. When it's time to sleep, are they able to, or are they afraid to close their eyes because maybe, their monsters are real.  We all have layers of our thoughts and emotions, with living and breathing negative and positive examples of how we are to conduct our daily lives. Some of us are blessed and learn a positive, nurturing side of life that helps us to grow and makes our life fuller and better. Others of us have to fight daily in order to maintain who we want to be, who we feel we are. Many of us forget that struggles, pain and even survival does not make us less of a person. People hurt and then they hurt each other. We all have layer upon layers of experiences that either tear us down and make us feel helpless or we can use them to remember that we are all important, no one any less or any more than another. Everyone struggles in life. Respect that everyone's limits are different as to what they can handle. Think before you speak and don't take it personal if someone is not your friend or not trusting when maybe all your trying to do is help them to be strong. Some have had a lifetime of protecting themselves and not knowing what trust or even hope means. The next time you see someone acting not exactly the way you think they should be, ask yourself why. Don't be the person who forgets that there is always, "MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN SEE."