What You Don't See

We are living, breathing souls; some of us are troubled souls. Some of us feel like we have lost our soul or have made a deal with the devil to try and save it.

Whatever your case may be, offer love and compassion as an extension of one’s self. If you are in a dark place, there is light. There is light and hope and proof that await you. You will find it in the checkout line at the store, at the table next to you at the restaurant, at the baseball game or at a birthday party.

All across the globe in distant lands, somewhere someone is living in the darkness. The darkness is a place where they have lost their soul. It is a place where those who need the needle, a drink, a pill or will trade their soul for one more bet. They are the ones whose secret obsessions have forced them to live on the edge. They are the ones who have no power over the force that has a grip on their soul. I call them the temporary lost souls. The souls that are waiting to be found, helped and healed by another.

While you were out shopping you didn’t notice the girl with the beautiful blue eyes who was struggling that day. She has come so far from where she once was, but still struggles with the devil every day. It doesn’t matter what her vice is, she goes to her meetings where she has a ton of support, her friends and family are very supportive as well. Even with all the support she has she still has to fight the monkey on her back every day. The struggle is very much her own and very real.

What you don’t see is the emotional scar left on one’s soul. You might feel a certain edge to their voice when they speak. To you, it might be a bitchy attitude, when in reality it could be the person screaming on the inside, “I can’t take it,” or “help me!” This is why you should never judge someone; you just don’t know what they are going through. The next time someone seems a little crabby ask them if there is anything that you can do to make them have a better day.

It is the things that you don’t see written on people’s faces or hear in their voice. It is the people who give back and reach out to another lost soul and help them find their way back, who are among my heroes. They could take their own personal struggle and hide it away, but they choose to help others and show them that there is hope and to never give up on reclaiming your soul. It is a person reaching out of the life boat to pull you out of the treacherous waters. It is a person who unselfishly helps another person, thank you for rescuing another soul.

There is a time to be tough and a time to show compassion. Each situation will rule which stance to take. Tough love is a tactic used to try and reach through the cracks and crevices, to get to the soul of the one who is suffering in hopes of a positive change.

So, whatever you struggle with, I wish you well. May love and compassion fill your heart and may you always know that you are loved, needed and treasured in this world. Never give up, just look around and see all of the hope. You are surrounded by survivors of something, you just can’t see it.