The hardest part of being human
is holding every shiny and perfect and brutal and excruciating piece
in your heart at the same time

The sorrow of knowing a kind young mother
with two extraordinary children
much like your own
who is lying
unresponsive
in hospice

The pride of watching your daughter
push
push
push
herself through a challenge and
stick with it
for years

The shattering tragedy of
ANOTHER white man with
ASSAULT WEAPONS
who cannot accept or
understand the value of
others
who feels threatened and so
turns to hatred

The comfort of a friend
whose struggles are
your struggles
who knows how to
make you laugh through the misery
or when to let you cry

The despair of a parent
who feels trapped
in the chaos of
explosive
kicks and screams
when demands
aren’t answered

The joy of watching your son
open up his world
with words
deciphering and expressing
new ones every day
discovering the power of
reading and writing

The absence of familiar faces
and the pain of separation
when people who you loved
and counted on
are missing
knowing the empty spaces
will always leave you
hollow

The sweet release that comes from
sunshine
and warmth
after the clenched fists
and hunched shoulders
of winter

The exhilaration of
shared new experiences
seeing people you love
delight in the bright colors
and sensations of magic

My heart will always overflow