There was a brief time as a teen
when I recoiled from all the love
I thought came to me too easily
Some troubled part of me was
disgusted by the fact that
I didn't earn it
The unconditional love
of my mother, of my family, my pets
seemed cheap and unsettling
I couldn't help but stew in sour thoughts
questioning what I had ever done
to deserve it
Sometimes it seemed like a consolation prize
like accepting this love would confirm
I was incapable of winning it for myself
Now I've learned that, in fact,
the sweetest, most sincere love is
love we haven't earned
Unconditional positive regard
is a precious rarity
to be grateful for
Some people are not so lucky
to have that unflinching affection
selflessly bestowed for no reason
A love that not even collision
with disinterest or hatred
will deter or destroy
Few things are more meaningful
or moving than being granted
a love you feel unworthy of
And there is no greater honor than to spend my life
learning to pay that same love forward, indiscriminately
into the open, imperfect hearts of others
Protect the Innocent 