Love and Loss

Peace of Mind

I had a friend who called me in the middle of the night, clearly distressed. She was very worried because she hadn’t heard from her partner in hours. Although they eventually talked about what had happened, she was still struggling to understand and believe his explanation for being out of touch. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just listened. It seemed like she just needed someone to confide in, but I could tell she was still uneasy and doubtful of his reasoning. I felt unsure of how to help since, as her friend, I didn’t know much more than she did.

After she hung up, I was about to go back to sleep when I realized I couldn’t shake my curiosity about what my friend was going through. I remembered a comforting poem by Cassie Phillips called “Let Them,” which reminds me of the idea that we should let people show their true colors by allowing them to be themselves. This reflects something profound about love. We tend to overthink, and in doing so, we bring to the surface parts of ourselves that need healing. It makes me question whether we often think we might be wasting our time with someone who could be lying to us, when we could simply walk away and find someone who makes us feel safe and secure. But then I wonder, is that really all it takes to make love and life bearable as we move forward?

Bearable to the point that it will determine that kind of inner peace and the state of being humane.