Let Them

You will not please everyone –
They will tell you that you’re wrong, or that you’re not good enough. . .

You will not befriend everyone –
They will find fault with you and choose others over you. . .

You won’t be understood by everyone –
They’ll be confused by your very being, questioning your kindness and perseverance. . .

You can’t fix other’s problems –
They will ask for your advice and then ignore it, or even do the exact opposite. . .

You cannot save everyone –
They’ll seem content with meaninglessness and materialism, blindly accepting their fates to never know, or feel, more than they do. . .

You’ll be broken open time and time again, by everyone –
They’ll tell you you’re a fool for trusting, tell you that you haven’t learned your lesson. . .

You’ll wonder why the world rests squarely, and solely, on your shoulders; and there will be times when you feel like you’re going to collapse under the crushing weight –
They will mock you for carrying on, and they will walk away long before you do. . .

You will want to give up –
They’ll tell you that you should. . .

You will think you’re all alone –
They will think the same thing, and will try to enter into your too-large heart. . .

You, and only you, can love them like no one else can, like they’ve never been loved before –
They may not always show their appreciation, but they’ll come back to you, every time. . .

You won’t know how much more you can give or how much longer you can go on –
They will be made better by what you have done for them, how you gave without taking, how you loved through the pain. They will know your brokenness and all that you have been through, and they’ll love you anyway (not in spite of, but because of those things). And one day, finally, they will truly see you. . .

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