Letter 2 myself por Poppy Pazos

Even though I don’t know your whole story, I see you. And I see pain. I see a tired, creative soul trying to make it out alive.

I see you.

And though I suspect you might have heard this all before, I am guessing it always came with advice. But I don’t want to offer any suggestions.

I just want to sit with you.

You have these feelings that matter, and maybe you think they make you weak. Maybe you think you shouldn’t be broken. You might even regret not being “strong.”

But people--all people--are fragile as fuck. We’ve all been broken whether we admit it or not. Everybody hurts.

And nobody really talks about that. Not enough. Not really.

You don’t have to pretend.

You don’t have to worry so much.

You can simply be.

You don’t have to go down that road, and you don’t have to back yourself into a corner.

Life can be bleak, but life still has its magic. Please don’t follow the darkness.

Please don’t lose your hope. Please don’t listen to the voice that tries so hard to make you stay away. The voice that keeps you afraid.

I don’t think you know how much you matter. I don’t think you know how much you’ve always mattered.

You don't even know how special you are to me.

But when I look in your direction, when I see where you've gone, I imagine where you've been. And suspect that you still feel very much alone.

Why is it so hard to tell you that you don't have to be alone?

I don't know if I'm brave or bold enough to convince you that it doesn't have to be this way.

I'm not sure how to tell you or anyone else that none of us need to suffer alone.

You don't have to suffer alone.

We don't need to suffer alone.

I believe we can help each other.

I believe, I believe, I believe... there are so many ways broken people can heal each other. And I guess I've got an inkling, a notion, that you and I could change each other's life. Simply by being there.

Honestly, I love you. I love you and maybe that sounds weird.

But I love you despite our distance. I love you despite decorum. And I love you because I see how hard you fight to stay alive. How hard you fight to stay strong.

To be honest, I think it's pretty damn difficult to know you and not love you. And I'm sorry if nobody ever told you, because they should have told you a long time ago.

You shold be loved.

You deserve love.

Human beings are fucking fragile--and you are no exception. But fragile people deserve love and we could be so much better for each other than you know.

So please don't go.

My words may be imperfect, but I'm here.

Stay.

Don't go.

You have a voice, and I have two ears.

I'm right here.

-Poppy Pazos