People watching in the botanical gardens.

God blessed each person I see with grace, will, dreams, imagination, and love. 

All these people have vast minds and hearts. 

It occurs to me that even the numbers of stars in the galaxy pale to the number of thoughts and ideas passing me by. 

How many victories?

How many accomplishments?

How many losses and how much pain?

I realize that we all protect ourselves from the vast amounts of sorrow carried by our neighbors. 

Let's not add to that total of sadness by jumping on our differences. 

If you cannot help a person directly, then look upon them kindly, accept that they have value. 

Beauty abides within the love we have for each other. 

It's impossible to try to be empathetic to the sadness around us, we are finite.  Leave that to the one who has infinite compassion. Leave that to the one who supplies us anew each morning and moment with the love we need for each other. 

I am diminished, slouched over,

when my thoughts turn to Nate. 

My gaze lowers.

Looking at the ground, I can't see the sun. 

The clouds hide the sunset without Ani's words. 

Micah has lifted my feet from the pit. 

He's gotten me to peek at the stars. 

He presents me with an incredible future. 

But even he can't stop the storm clouds of the past from blowing in sometimes.