how it has come down to this

pain is a symptom of love.
when you know what love is,
pain becomes that much more real.

those who don't understand pain
have never truly experienced love,
they're not sensitive to it.

it takes courage to find beauty
in misery, and it takes a hell of
a lot of suffering to realize love.
trial and error.

when we have our hearts broken,
we can clearly see what it is that drives
us, what we're looking for in another soul.

those who have been hurt the most
are the most likely to love freely.
they realize that every situation of love
is different, every lover needs a different type
of love. for those who find the piece of
the puzzle
that fits them best are truly lucky. it is in
that understanding that empathy is born.

don't walk a mile in another person's shoes,
but take a journey in their skin. it is under
the flesh and bone, at the very core of our
individual selves that we find lovers and friends,
the people who drive us to our limits.

these understandings make revenge obsolete.
it makes hate a thing of the past. as much as
we feel inclined to take out our personal suffering
on those who have broken
our hearts, or on those who have loved us
completely, it becomes unnecessary
when we realize our true selves and what it is that
drives us further in our journey of love, under
the skin of someone
who actually loves us.

know that your pain is their pain too.
know that your fear is also their fear.
know that your needs do not outweigh their needs.
and when it doesn't work out, move on gracefully
with your dignity and character intact.

through this, we can grow beyond common hurt,
common pain, and common love. we can grow,
and evolve into better people, loving for the sake
of loving, living for the sake of living. this is our
moment for change, for making life a little more
tolerable for everyone else that's just making a
pit stop in this thing we call life.

it begins with one person.
it grows with acceptance.