On compassion

The world is composed of several types of people, and though my wisdom doesn't quite surpass my maturity, I've seen a lot of them. Some will touch you right in the heart, then look into your eyes and effortlessly lie. There are those who manipulate, tarnish and abuse our spirits, contaminating us with their filth and greed. Sometimes the world is an overwhelming place and it seems that all of the killers, rapists, criminals and child abusers cloud what is good in this life. But ultimately if it wasn't for those that are the definition of sordid, the beings that posses goodness, honesty and compassion would be easily forgotten and blurred with the rest of society. Just as mud highlights the purity of fallen snow, it is the hate in the world that allows compassion to shine through.
Though I've seen much of the darkness that plagues the world, I consider myself to be extremely fortunate for those who have entered my life. I have been showered with overwhelming kindness and generous amounts of encouragement. Those wiser than I have shared lessons in love, friendship and life's hardships. I was raised surrounded by compassion. In the warmth of my Mother's arms happiness was assured. She taught me the importance of integrity and the value of companionship. And though I have continuously done wrong by her, she has never failed to commit herself completely to my happiness and well-being.
It's strange how one act of kindness can be infectious, spreading genuine happiness to others, encouraging them to do the same. I've been told that it's naive to believe that good will triumph over evil, and perhaps it is. But to me the world has so much beauty and kindness that it can't be stifled by the bad seeds. Intimidating as it may seem to step off of a cliff and trust that the wind will carry you safely home, we are often scared of committing ourselves to humanity because that means our hearts are open and vulnerable to pain. But you can't show a person compassion if you're anticipating the worst from them.
In a lot of ways, being compassionate is a leap of faith. It is having hope in humanity and giving energy back to the circle of life. Love thy neighbor and thy wife, but also think kindly on the world. Some where along the line, we were all torn apart into segments; Nation's didn't work together, but against each other. I guess in a way it's easier to ignore the cries across the globe and focus on one nation under God. But I am no different than the homeless, the beaten and the abused. Tonight we all are under the same sky, and though I have been dealt a better hand of cards than them, we are all human. We are all capable of caring for one another, and we all have ways to touch the lives of everyone we will ever meet.
Compassion isn't measured by how many Asian children you adopt within your lifetime. It isn't a way to impress your employers or get you into college. It is, however, the manifestation of happiness, and beyond all things love. We are all connected. Whether we'd like to address the fact that reality lies behind the news updates of genocides in Africa, and suicide bombers in Asia, the truth is that those people are the same as the celebrities that we change the channel to watch. And though changing the channel may help you forget about them, they will always be there, and they will always be apart of you, because they are humanity. We are all human.