"everyone has their own struggles, their own strengths,
and their own demons."
the ones who hold the biggest smiles are
not always the ones who are happiest.
the ones who yell out the biggest cries are
not always the ones in need of help.
the ones who seem to have it all together are
not always the most successful.
the ones who say the most words are
not always the most intelligent.
the ones with the most hope are
not always the most courageous.
the last souls standing are
not always the strongest.
everyone has their own struggles, their own strengths,
and their own demons.
just because someone seems like they are fine,
does not necessarily mean that they are.
just because someone is not outwardly
struggling as much as others,
does not mean that they are not struggling internally.
we never know how our words and our actions
affect others because the faces they show on the outside are
not always the ones they feel on the inside.
we all have darkness in our corners, and we all
have faces and secrets that we hide from others.
if the person next to you seems happier than you do,
do not assume that they are not sad.
if the person next to you seems miserable, do not assume
that they do not have hope and a fighting chance at life.
be the person who learns to read people by interacting with them
and learning about who they really are rather
than predicting how they are based on their appearances.
your happy-go-lucky neighbor can very well be struggling
with depression while you are too busy
focusing on those crying for help.
do not assume.
listen.
open your heart to everyone.