People Need Other People

This print hangs right at the foot of my bed, it is the first thing I see each morning and one of the last I see each night.

And I love it.

But do I believe it?

Because for some time I know that I didn't believe it. I knew in the back of my mind that it was true, that people really do need other people. But I didn't think it applied to me.

I thought that I was different.

I thought that I could go it alone and take everything that life could possibly throw me, on my own.

But that life is hard.

That life is lonely, even if we'd rather not admit it.

The thing about putting walls up around your heart is that they keep people from hurting you, but don't let the people in who can keep you from hurting yourself.

Please don't freak out over that last statement, 

I don't mean physically hurting...I mean the type of hurting you that your brain can do when it runs free. 

The kind when you get lost inside your own dark and twisty places with no one to share that pain and confusion with.

But people, man, people take that pain and confusion and they ignore it. 

They don't treat it like they should when you let them in. 

They pretend it's not a huge deal.

They take the trust that you gave them and stomp on it.

So you just stop trusting people.

And that's when the walls go up.

And you start resenting the world and every single person outside of those walls.

But then, someone cares enough to break down your walls.

And maybe that was the whole point of the walls in the first place, to see who would care enough to break them down.

Have you seen Grey's Anatomy? Grey's introduced the notion of someone being your person. Meredith and Christina are each other's person. They are there for each other through thick and thin, no matter what life throws at them. 

I used to think that was silly.  

I've had some great friends over the years, don't get me wrong, but never before have I had a person.

And now I do. 

I have a person who I can tell everything to.

I have a person who really cares.

And I am beyond thankful for that.

I can't describe to you how amazing it is to know that another human being cares about you even when they may be going through storms of their own.

Moral of the story?

People really do need other people.

I understand if you have walls up, I really do.

But take a minute and look at who's still there despite your walls.

Because, those people, they're the ones who will hold your hand through whatever life has for you.

Those are your people.

Never let them go.