Love fully,
Love fearlessly,
Love unconditionally.

The Wall

I built a wall around my house

to keep out strangers and protect my things.

But then I couldn’t get outside,

to walk in the open air and see my friends.

So I put in a door.

I built a wall around my eyes

to shield myself from images of destruction and suffering.

But then I couldn’t see the sun,

or birds, or babies or anything, really.

So I put in a window.

I built a wall around my ears

to keep out the harsh words of criticism,

the sounds of traffic and shouting,

the wails of pain all around me.

But then I couldn’t hear laughter, or the ocean,

or the wind rustling the trees.

So I opened my window.

I built a wall around my heart

To repel the arrows of rejection,

keep out hurt and sorrow.

But then I couldn’t love.

So I poked my head out the window,

and called out to a stranger.

We talked for hours.

I built a wall around my life,

to protect myself from failure,

to prevent anything bad from ever happening to me.

And I never failed and nothing bad ever happened to me.

In fact, nothing much ever happened to me at all.

I became imprisoned by what was there to protect,

shut in by what was supposed to keep out.

So early one morning I stepped through my doorway,

out into the world.

And started living.

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