I used to think it was a sign of weakness
to be tender and loving in such a cruel world
I saw my own innocent moments of vulnerability
taken advantage of and wielded like weapons
to be strong, I thought, must mean to harden
to shut away my heart for safe keeping
I spent years closing myself off, savoring cynicism
scoffing at anyone who allowed themselves to be seen
Now I see they are far stronger than me
they were never ignorant of my pain, they knew it well
but chose to lay their souls bare despite it
to allow themselves to feel fully even in the face of fear
A powerhouse of patience and persistence
to love each moment freely and completely
is the ultimate act of courage in this world
when it's so much easier to hide behind hate
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Protect the Innocent 
In my own subjective way, to put it shortly, this has been the story of my life. And so from the lessons I’ve learned up to this present time, I couldn’t agree more! 👏
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Yes, now the hard part is changing those deeply set patterns of closing off and becoming spiteful and bitter.
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Oh yes indeed! It’s a brutal battle! I have to battle with it daily. But it’s a battle I’m willing to fight.
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