Blessed are those fortunate enough to have the courage of their convictions, land them in trouble as these convictions often may, as they often do
Blessed are those poised to defy scripture, whether holy or mundane, unwilling to bribe their way into salvation, or engineer their way forward by demanding to help others, pretending they know what is best for everyone
Blessed are those who live their lives without loud displays or performances on what passes as goodness; who go about their business in peace, leading by example,
helping only when asked,
when it is truly necessary,
for only then are you and I free from the maze of self-importance that absorbs so many a promising individual,
only then are we free from the webs which the wicked and devious have woven around us,
around the entire world, in the name of pompous self-righteousness, in the name of saccharine kindness,
in the wake of grandiose concepts and declarations in
whose name crimes are committed
Demanding to help others and pretending to know what is best for everyone — blessed are they who do neither — neither demand nor pretend — who are more bitter than saccharine, but not too bitter, who are loud enough to be heard through the din, not over it — who are not the din itself, and who can tell when they’re needed
Blessed are they who go about their business in peace, leading by example
Theirs is indeed a truly helping hand, both when they offer it and when they stand on the side, watching, their gaze a helpful gaze and their eyes filled with beauty, their presence a warm and welcome relief, as opposed to the cruelty of the helping hands of those who demand
And pretend
And slather
And slather
Blessed are those who are there when you need them, and who make sure you know it, and who check in once in a while, as necessary, because they know it’s not about them, but about the other
Blessed are they who understand the concept of proximal distance, of caring without stifling, and all that it entails