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A Life Well Lived


 
To be loved
To love
 
To never forget 
We are all but a grain of sand
 
To never get used to 
Unspeakable violence
 
To see the atrocities in the 
World and cry for their pain
 
To never look away
And pretend we didn’t see
 
To seek joy 
In the most unlikely places
 
To pursue beauty 
Until our eyes are enchanted 
 
To never complicate what is simple 
Or simplify what is complicated
 
To ask why
To ask why!
 
To never forget
For forgetting is intolerable 
 
To respect strength
Not power
 
To watch
And try to understand
 
To never look back on decisions 
Already made and done
 
To know regrets are valuable
If lessons were learned
 
To meet everyone with a smile
Without judging 
Color
Religion
Political views
Or who they love
 
To try to make your life matter
Not in an attempt to gain anything
But in small quiet ways
That make your heart sing
 
These are the words that define 
Us as human beings
Let’s stop wasting us
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Comments (2)

Deblyn
<div>Asian eyes</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>A little Asian man&nbsp;</div><div>Stood at the counter</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>He rung up my purchase as my then lover put a male scarf on the countertop&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>My lover said</div><div>Hey babe, Mind buying this for me?</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I said sure. Just as the Asian man raised his eyes to meet mine.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>His face was expressionless</div><div>But his dark inscrutable eyes, which normally I would find difficult to read without an expression to pair....</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>But I read his eyes as if he were writing words in the air.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Why are you buying that for him?</div><div>I thought &ldquo;It&rsquo;s only twenty five dollars&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Why does price matter? He asked</div><div>&ldquo;I have the money.&nbsp;</div><div>It&rsquo;s not an issue.&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>When was the last time he bought something for you?</div><div>&ldquo;Well, today he bought me orange juice.&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>But didn&rsquo;t you give him the money for it?</div><div>&ldquo;Yes, but...&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>But what?</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I looked at my lover and instead of telling him the truth I told him I didn&rsquo;t have the money for it.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Immediately moving my eyes to meet the Asian mans.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I think my lover was embarrassed because I said this in front of the man.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>Instead of agreeing he argued. Does it take 2 to argue? Not in this instance.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I paid for my purchase and knowing my lover had money in his wallet I asked him if he still wanted the scarf.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>He knew I also had money in my wallet.&nbsp;</div><div>So as he understood the question&nbsp;</div><div>To mean I was now prepared to buy the scarf for him</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>He enthusiastically replied yes.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Asian man&rsquo;s eyes never left my face.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I told, the man I knew was never going to warm my bed again, that no, I really didn&rsquo;t want to spend the money.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>His face turned red. I could hear the redness in his voice.&nbsp;</div><div>&ldquo;What a bitchy thing to do&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>The Asian man&rsquo;s eyes finally left my face and looked at the man I was with.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>And he finally spoke.&nbsp;</div><div>&ldquo;May you live in interesting times&rdquo;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>I was slightly disappointed that he had not wished such a blessing to me.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>It was only after thinking about it for awhile that day that I realized he actually cursed him.&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div>For me I realized uninteresting meant happiness and peace</div>
Deblyn
<p>Round trip to Spain</p><div><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">I snapped at him</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">He looked surprised</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">And then understanding&nbsp;</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">The understanding look&nbsp;</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">made me angrier than ever</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">If I had a dollar for every time</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">He thought he understood me</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">We could fly to Spain&nbsp;</span><br style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;" /><span style="font-size: 16px; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: &quot;Palatino Linotype&quot;, &quot;Book Antiqua&quot;, Palatino, serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">First class</span></div>

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