We are not so different

To the Widows: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to lose a husband, but I do know what it is like to be disappointed by the one you love the most. I know what is like to face a life that didn't quite turn out as you planned. I know what it is like to allow another person to be the corner piece to your puzzle. We are not so different.

To the Orphans: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like to physically lose a parent, but I do know what it is like to be battered, bruised, and broken by the selfish decisions of a parent. I know what it is like to lay awake at night and long for it to all be different, better. I know what it is like to feel empty and alone. We are not so different.

To the Homeless Man: We are not so different. I do not know what it is like not to have a roof over my head, but I know what it is like to lose faith in humanity, in God. I know what it is like to hope for a better place. We are not so different.

To the Last, the Least, and the Lost: We are not so different. I know what it is like to be alone, wandering aimlessly. I know what it is like trying to find a reason, a path, a purpose. I know what it is like to feel meaningless, searching for something greater. We are not so different.

To the Righteous Man: We are not so different. I know what it is like to feel superior to those around. I know what it is like to feel pious, high, and mighty. I know the pleasure that comes from religion. I also know what it is like to be pitied and downcast. I know the pain that you have caused because I'm sure I've caused it too. We are not so different.

We are all the result of the same fall. We all feel the same pain, share the same hope. We have all lost something or someone. We have all been robbed of our innocence.  We have all been beaten and broken by the world around. We are not so different, indeed.