Hurt

I don't know who hurt you. I don't know what you've been through that's taken you to your current place. What I do know? We've all been hurt, and we're all going through something.

To the young girl hiding behind her smile, her grades, her music, her sports, whatever it may be: I've been there. You're not alone.

To the young man hiding behind his secret fears, his parents' wrath,  his grades, his sports, his addictions, his pride, whatever it may be: I've been there. You're not alone.

To the woman hiding behind her job, her comparisons, her imperfections, her weight, her foul language, whatever it may be: I've been there. You're not alone.

To the man hiding behind his finances, his marital struggles, his insecurities, his health issues, his career, whatever it may be: I've been there. You're not alone.

I may have not struggled through some of these things like you have, but I promise I've gone through more of them than you'd think.

We are all different, but we're all the same. We're all going through something and we're all trying to hide it, you know?

To the grown man who told me I was the dumbest person he had ever spoken to yesterday while I was just honestly trying to help: that hurt me. I've tried to forgive you, but I'm going to have to work on that a little longer. But you know what? I pity you. You've probably been hurt in the past and being rude is the only way you know how  to cope.

That's my point. We're all facing issues; things that are icky and unnecessarily difficult to be facing. We have no idea what someone else may be going through. We have no idea what medications they're reluctantly taking to try to be a more balanced person. We have NO idea what the doctor told their spouse, their aunt, their sister and that they're trying to cope through that. We have no idea what inner skeletons are torturing our peers' thoughts.

The beautiful thing is that we have the capability to be there for each other. If you're going through something, chances are, someone else very near to you is as well. Spread hope. Spread love. Spread cheer. You're not alone.

So even though I don't know who or what hurt you, I know someone probably did. Get out there  friend, with your chin up & your thoughts positive. That hurt doesn't have to define who you are anymore.