Beautiful Soul

Little girl with the bruises on your arms and legs, from the beating you took the night before. You feel hopeless, unwanted by your own flesh and blood. Put off daily to fend for yourself, and your siblings. Looking for food, and knowing the only place you’ll get it is at school… if you make it there the next day. Your house has no heat in the winter, and no cool air in the summer. You barely fit in your clothes. They either swallow you up or are so small you cannot fasten or secure them. Where are your shoes? You gave them to your little sister, so she wouldn’t have to walk to school without any tomorrow.

You are a beautiful soul.

Little boy who battles with the voices in your head, telling you to do harm to yourself and others. Dealing with an internal struggle most adults cannot survive. Bullied, called names, often in trouble for fighting at school, and ignored by those who should care. On the outside you appear to have it all. The family looks happy. You have a nice house, with your own room. You have a dog, toys, games, and you want for nothing… except the love and attention you so badly crave from those around you. And yet, you sit alone, entertaining the voices you battle against, because while they are your enemy, they are also your only friend.

You are a beautiful soul.

Young lady with the beautiful eyes, and the smile that never, quite reaches them. Hidden from the world, in your dark corner. Depression and anxiety are the oppressions that burden you. You feel your friends have abandoned you, your family constantly fights with you, and you are so lonely. You have pulled away from everyone who has hurt you. Your pills have become the only link to sanity you believe you have left, and yet they are not enough when times get harder. And yet harder, they continue to become. You look in the mirror, and the ghost of your reflection gazes back at you, broken and empty, and all you          want is the pain to go away.

You are a beautiful soul.

Young man with the perfect job, your own house, starting a new family, and living the dream… yet tormented by your own nightmares every night. You struggle with the monsters and demons of your past. Things have happened in your life that were beyond your control, yet you blame yourself. Your wife supports you, and you have countless friends who would help you, if you could just let them in. But you feel like you cannot. You look at the face in the mirror, and hate the reflection you see. Your mind wants you to end it all, but your will is strong, and you carry on. You are determined to make it through, but struggling to figure out how, because you cannot on your own.

You are a beautiful soul.

Loving mother of 3 children; bouncing, hollering, energetic, bundles of joy. Every time you look at your little men you hope and pray that you are raising them right. But it is hard to be mom and dad to boys. There have been times you feel like a failure to your kids, many times, in fact. You go to bed tired, after working your full-time job. Were the bills paid on time? Was there enough to take care of their needs? Was anything missed today? Anything forgotten? You feel like the teachers and babysitters may know your babies better than you do. Split many ways, and barely able to take proper care of your own self, you are worn and frazzled, and yet you trudge on because those babies mean the world to you, despite what anyone else may say or do. Maybe one night you’ll sleep soundly, feeling secure for yourself and your kids. But until that day, you will fight your own inner battles, and any of the battles they face as well, because you are the strength and security in their lives, and they are your life.

You are a beautiful soul.

Gentleman with the silver highlighted hair, marking your wisdom and time on this earth, the kind face, and giving hands, you are a man sought after by many for your wisdom, but you are tired. Having lived life, and made your mistakes, you want nothing more than to spare future generations from doing the same. You have watched your children grow, and build their own families. Now, you have the privilege of watching your grandchildren grow as well. You love being the best example for all the little eyes watching you, but time has worn you down. Every day is more precious to you than the one before, and you fear you will leave this earth before you have shared all your wisdom to the younger generations, and so you write. You write your soul, your heart, and your wisdom in hopes that they will someday read, and take to their hearts the words you have shared. The writing on the pages is shaky from your aged hands, and splotchy from the tears that fell from your eyes onto the aged paper. And yet you continue, because you wish only the best for those who will follow you.

You are a beautiful soul.

To all the beautiful souls, remember who you are. Find yourself if you feel lost. Be happy, and be at peace. Stay strong, live free, and continue to grow more beautiful with every experience. Struggles in life will leave marks on your soul, until the end. Some call them scars, but I call them milestones. They are reminders of what you have survived, and how you have grown. You are born with a beautiful soul. And regardless of what life does to your mind, your body, and your heart, your soul remains…beautiful.