“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
― John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love

It is from the seat of the soul where we find our compassionate virtue. But, too often, we are left as children in a world of disheartened, painful reality; in a sphere of worldly giants.

But to be a child is to be innocent. It is to be loving without cause or reason. It is to brighten the world despite being surrounded by a reality filled with anger and ache.

Being a child; it is to be that which is truly human. For only in a child’s eye, we see the essence of living with love, living for being loved; and living for only this purpose.

But, we forget…

In my younger days, I knew my anger all too well. Or so I thought. I knew how easily angered I could become If I were hurt, lied to, mistreated or betrayed. My anger grew quickly into rage, then into vengeance. And often I acted on these lower, carnal forms of my deadened mind.

But acting upon them never proved fruitful. The act of embracing rage only grew into more rage, more hurt and more pain. I learned then that I could perpetuate the cycle continuously until I no longer had control over myself, or anything. Pain would be my gestalt, anger becoming my dynamic.

But this was my lesson…

Now, after tormenting my life, after filling my eyes with flecks of an angered heart, I see the life of another as a reflection of my own. Despite the hurt, despite the pain inflicted upon me, I choose to see beyond my own life, beyond the illusion of anger.

I now choose to see the love I feel. I choose to embrace the love I know I have for them, never minding that I’ve been torn apart, wronged or scorned.

Instead, I feel beyond what is quantified as pain.

And I’ve learned this lesson recently…

We all have our faults. We all have our moments of anger, rage and hate. And sometimes others can bring out our hidden monster. But look closely at how this wastes the heart.

We can move toward grace in all of our trials, in all our moments of pain.

We need only remind ourselves of our true purpose here. And, sometimes, that reminder comes to us as a child.

Now, as I look into my infant son’s eyes, I see the world anew again. I see the brightness in his gaze as he smiles after he wakes. I see that he knows only love, only compassion. I see that it would be of sadness to give in to an angry world when there is so much love written upon one child’s face.

I see many things, many beautiful fragments of life waiting like a diamond to be adorned by the world.

But I see what is most pure…

I see what we all should remember, if only we could.

I see that he still remembers heaven.