To those I have lost

I was reminded today of those who I have lost.  Those friends I once had that are no longer with me.  I have made it a policy throughout my life to never burn bridges or sever ties unless I have to, and sometimes, I just lose touch.  Sometimes in losing touch, I try to regain it, and things have changed.  Sometimes I symbolize a time in someone's life that they were unhappy, or going through a transition.  Sometimes I have actually done something wrong.  If I have wronged you, I hope you'll find some way to forgive that wrong.  I'm not perfect, in fact I am about as far from perfect as people get, but I hope I provided you some peace in the time I knew you.
In the case where I symbolize a bad time in your life, I'm sorry that you can't separate me from that time.  Know that I cherished any interaction we had, both positive and negative, and know that I learned as much from you, if not more, as you learned from me.  I'll miss you and whatever times we shared.  I'll still think of you, look and pictures and laugh, but I'll feel incomplete.  As though the door was never closed, because in my mind, the door never closes.

I'm sad for the loss.  Today it hit me, and I'm sad for it.  I don't know if it's my bruised ego, or the fact I don't know what I said or did, or the fact that I won't have a chance to make whatever wrong I did, right.
I let people down.  I let myself down.

I listen to the sadness in the world, and the worries, and the fears.  I listen to everyone I know suffering in one way or another.  I just want to hold them all and tell them it's ok.  Even the people who now view me as the enemy.  Even those I do not agree with.  It doesn't matter if we all agree, we are human.  We are made of the same things.  If I find something about you that I don't like, the reason that I don't like it is that I see it in myself, and cannot accept that about myself.  Those who are fearful about the future, but choose to manifest that fear into hate, I see your fear.  I know your fear.  I do not agree with what you do with your fear, but I know that it's just that you are afraid and unable to express that in a constructive way.
Everything will be right in the world soon, this I know.  Just hang in there for a little longer.  Be fiercely loving and strong.  John Lennon was right, ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE.

And so, love each other, love your enemies, love your friends