The hard way

It is easy not to care: do nothing and the world will crumble. Effort is required to maintain anything of worth. Doing good does not often feel so good.

There is satisfaction in knowing you have done well. But few escape unscathed from the results of good deeds. You either do it because you care, or you do not.

Those who can will do and the rest will criticize. Never mind having nothing to show for themselves. It is easy to watch, but hard to play.

Ease and sloth are meant for each other. They both eschew the difficulties of life. And they do not like anyone pointing out their inadequacies.

Life is hard, because the world is full of people who do not care. Those who do are wearied and prone to discouragement. It would be easy to leave them all to rot.

To do so would mean becoming them, and everything would grind to a halt. Those with ice in their veins should be wary. It is harder for a heart to keep beating, than it is for it to stop.

Weathering the storm

There is an exhaustion which rest cannot relieve and a weariness that goes far beyond the physical. The strain of living in a world so cold will eventually take its toll. To care means to keep the fire burning for one more day.

When people try your patience, it is a trial to be patient. Some embrace the challenge, while others declare it a lost cause. You would think the end had arrived, when really it has been expected for quite some time.

Many give up without ever trying. Life gets harder the further you go. One must be strong within, to withstand the storms that are sure to come.

Calamity strikes like a bolt of lightning, without warning or a chance to prepare. Dismay threatens to drown you in its flood. It’s all you can do to keep your head above water.

Those fit to survive, will overcome adversity. Up springs a gale and the seas will roll. The only way out is through.

When you emerge, there will be damage. The hull may be breached, and you could be taking on water. But the truest test of oneself is to weather the storm, and still remain afloat.

Life and loss

Life is miserable, yet we mourn the loss of it. The death of a loved one saddens us like nothing else. It is also a sobering thought that through another’s mortality we are reminded of our own.

Denial is the first step, for we cannot accept the person has truly left us. We still expect to see them come walking through the door. Our memories are fresh, so the image remains.

It is easy to become angry at your loss and that of others. When a good person dies, the world loses something it can never get back. There is a gaping hole where their smile used to be.

Everyone grieves differently. Some are quick to shed tears no matter who is watching. Others suffer in silence, saving their sorrow for the pillow.

It is hard to be strong when others are falling apart. Some handle grief better. They are the shoulder to cry on and the listening ear.

People come into our lives for a reason. When they leave, part of them is left behind. Memories fade, but the heart will remember what time has forgotten.

A better place

How do you make the world a better place? By being a better person. Just one can make all the difference.

It is easy to allow your reach to exceed your grasp. No one can reasonably expect the impossible. But people become quite nervous when you point out what is well within their capabilities.

Being good is not easy. The envious will desire to take what you have. Others will hate you for making them look as bad as they are.

Why would anyone want that? It easy not to care: you just do nothing. There is a perception of safety in apathy.

But what does it bring? They get as good as they give, leading empty lives filled with deep depression. There is no escaping the nothingness within.

Sometimes it hurts to care, but it also helps. There is a reason our eyes look out and not in. If we close them, our world becomes a dark place indeed.   

Some people

Some people exist to make others miserable. It is as if their soul is a black hole trying to suck all joy into the void. If they got their way, the world would be just as empty as they are.

Here is the true value of a person: would everyone be better or worse off without them? I am not advocating a purge. There are too many and it would take too long.

Some people live to make everything better. They cause the darkest clouds to part and warm the coldest day. These individuals can bring a smile to the saddest face.

Life is hard enough without someone dragging you down. No one was promised a rose garden, but who needs a thornbush?  They only exist to choke the life out of everything that is trying to grow.

The leopard cannot change its spots. Neither can human garbage become more than something to toss out before it stinks up the place. Maybe they could start a colony…

Be the one who lives to care. It will not be easy and even good people can test your resolve. But in this life there are really only two parts to play: part of the solution or part of the problem.