It is time

for us to take a step back from the mirror, if only long enough for us to glimpse the damage we have done. As a society, as a nation, as a culture, we are entirely too vain. We care not for others, not for the people we love, but only for ourselves. We live our lives looking out for number one. Science tells us that the world revolves around the sun and in return we shake our heads and click our tongues, we tell science that while the world may revolve around the sun, the universe revolves around us.
We take what we want, we leave no survivors. We strip trees bare of bark and mountains bare of trees. We fish until no fish are left and we wage war until the children's cries can be heard light-years away.
We beat the weary and we steal from the poor. We take food from the hands of beggars, forcing them to watch us eat. We tell ourselves that it is all for the best. We teach our children that we are doing what is right. We lie.
Quite regularly we shake our heads at stories of murderers on the news. We sit back and relax, wearing clothes which were produced by hands much smaller than our own. We tell ourselves that we are not murderers, that we are better than those who kill. We say that we would never stoop that low. But there is blood on our clothes. Blood shed by tiny laborers, underfed and under paid. Small children who work shifts that are illegal in our countries.
But it is time for us to take a step away from our own vanity. It is time for us to take a moment to tell ourselves that we are not the best. A moment to recognize that the world does not revolve around us.
We are not gods.
We are not infallible.
We have no right to force others to do our will.
We are human just like the rest of the world.
The only difference is that the rest of the world isn't living in a fairy tale. The rest of the world knows that they are human. The rest of the world is grateful for each minute of sleep, for each morsel of food, for each gentle touch and for each chance to learn.
Why are we, who have everything, so vainly ungrateful?

Love

is like an umbrella. It can keep the rain off your back, and the sun off your face. It can protect you, but you won't always need it's protection. You can hold it close, you can hold it at arms length- it's entirely up to you.
You can put love away, or you can carry it with you wherever you go. It can beome a fashion statement. But be warned, there are some places you can't go with it, small doors it won't fit through.
You can walk with it, dance with it, sing with it, but you can never run with love.

Then again, who needs to run when one can fly?

Umbrellas come in many shapes and sizes, so does love. Sometimes an umbrella can stop you from seeing which way you are going, so can love. Sometimes umbrellas get ruined on stormy days, love is fagile also. You can't hold many umbrellas at the same time, in the same way it can be tiring to love many people.

There are only a few ways in which love and umbrellas are different. For instance, not many people have more than three umbrellas, but we all have love in spades. And you have to buy an umbrella, while you really can't buy someone's love. But love still has a price. Everything has a price.

And sometimes, umbrellas break.

Love does too.

The People That You Love

Have you ever noticed that there's an aura around the people that you love?
You could say they seem to sparkle
Even if you saw the world in black and white, you could pick them out in a crowd.

Have you ever noticed that the voices of the people you love sound like music?
Their voices sound unique to your ears
Even in a busy room, you could find them just by listening for the sound of their voices.

Have you ever noticed that the hands of the people you love feel different?
Their hands feel softer, warmer than anyone else'
Even if you held the hands of a perfected impostor, you could feel the difference.

Have you ever noticed that the people you love, seem to be lit from within?
They seem to shine with a light that is never extinguished
Even if the sun went out and the world was pitch black, you could see by the light they spread.

Have you ever noticed, that the smile of a person you love is infectious?
They don't even have to be smiling for you
Just watching a person you love being happy can make you happy.