Everyday, there are people who resist the constant urge to cry, to scream, to simply give up. There are many people who lurk in the darkest shadows, watching as everybody else lives on with their seemingly perfect lifestyle. Even jealousy begins to blossom deep within their heart. Some turn their back, ignoring the world and all it has to offer. All they saw was their own problems, and many drowned in self-pity. And yet, they could hide it all, with a simple smile or laugh. All of this shows that the suffering souls that can hide in plain sight. Shows that we aren’t the only ones suffering, and even that there are people who have it worse than us.

Then, there are the people who may be sent from Heaven itself. There are people who we call “friends,” people whom we trust. There are those who are willing to catch you when you fall, hold you in their arms, and let you cry on their shoulders. They are there so you can share both the good and the bad times. They can give you that extra nudge that you need if you are in doubt, and they can hold the rope you need when you are stuck in a rut. Having friends have many benefits in this life.
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Friends are the kinds of people who accept you for who you are. They are the ones who look past your flaws, and scratch deeper than the surface. They are the ones who are willing to stay by your side, through both the good and the bad. They are the ones who would want to keep you alive, keep you going for the best, shooting for the stars. Friends are the ones who never want to see you sad or shed tears, the ones who don’t want to hear cries of pain or see you suffer…

But, tears must be shed. Nobody is born with a heart of stone or emotions of ice. Nor is there anybody who has indestructible defenses on both the body and the spirit. The tears, the pain, the confusion and even doubt are the chains that drag us down. Each of these thoughts bring the shades lower and lower, until eventually, we shut out the world. Where everything is just plain and simple darkness. A place where you feel nothing but your own pain and emptiness…

The importance of friendship and love cannot be defined easily. It has no simple answer, for it is a complicated question. People of all races, religions, and personalities have to have friends, or they’d be living in a world of darkness. A world devoid of light, happiness, joy, laughter and love. The world I’ve seen, the world I’ve experienced, is one that needs friendship and love. A life as cutters, drinkers, druggies and even as the addicted is all proof that there are dying souls out there, lost and confused. But most of all, blind…

So this is where we can step in and help those souls, crying out for something more than what they have. If we can intervene with these deadly cycles, we can bring new life, have them “reborn” into a new person. We can show them light, and save them from a thick and swallowing darkness. We can reopen their eyes, we can help them live life out of the shadows. Blades would be dropped, bottles would be drained, drugs would be put away and addictions would fade. All of these things could…would…save so many people from isolation, maybe even suicide.

If we could just make that step and reach out, lives would be saved and lifestyles would begin anew. Many people would be given a second chance, and many more would be saved from heartache and loss. A weight would be lifted from the world, and light would shine through the clouds that seem to plague many. Smiles would be seen more often, laughter would echo, and people could say that they are happy and truly mean it. This, is one of my dreams…since I’ve seen both sides, and I want a happier place…for us all.
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Not all friendships are timeless, not all love is true. These are two things than can be hidden behind the cloak of friendship. So I say, guard your heart, watch over it. See who are the ones who would want to harm it, abuse it, or manipulate it. But also keep an eye out for the ones who want to protect it with you, those who would want to mend it when it is scratched, those who want to keep it beating. Those are the kinds of friends you need, so keep a close watch on those who you want to trust, until the trust comes naturally…let them prove themselves to you….
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