THE RISKS OF LOVING

There is a risk involved in everything;
every time you share a smile,
every time you shed a tear,
you are opening yourself up to hurt.

Some people tread slowly through life,
avoiding the closeness that brings risk,
side-stepping the things they can't understand,
turnng away from those caring too much,
those who care too long,
those who hold too tightly.

There is never an easy way to love;
you cannot approach it cautiously,
it will not wait for you to arm yourself,
it does not care if you turn away---
it is everywhere, it is everything.

Love is the greatest of all risks;
it is not reliable, it is not cautious,
it is not sympathetic,
it is unprejudiced and unmerciful.
It strikes the strongest of mind,
and brings them to their knees in one blow.

Even in the best of times, love hurts;
it hurts to belong, it hurts to need,
it hurts to be the other part of someone else,
without the consent of either of you.
From the moment it overtakes you,
it hurts worse to be alone.

Always take a chance!
The end result may not always be what you had hoped for, but that's fine. At least you won't go through life wondering, and asking yourself.."what if?" and..."if only..."

Follow your heart---it might not always be right but, despite the pain, you will have memories that will make you smile every once in a rare while.