Have you ever wondered how people do it? How people manage to put out their cigarettes, or put down that bottle, and simply walk away? I have.
My whole life, which is a whopping twenty years, I've been astounded by the
strength these people have. I'm not justifying their behavior, I'm well aware
they fell into that black hole all on their own, however, what we tend to overlook
is how much it takes out of someone to be able to lift themselves back out
of said hole. Let me try to put it into perspective for you: Let's say you have
a routine, you get up, maybe you shower, maybe you eat breakfast, whatever you
do, it's probably not something you think about, you just do; it's second nature. That, my friend,
is called a habit, and although your habit may not be threatening to your life,
it's still something you'd notice if you didn't do it. It's similar to those who
roll out of bed and stick a needle in their arm; it's how they get through
their day. Similar to those of you who may need a steaming hot cup of coffee to wake you
up before work. It's the same thing, you're just lucky enough to have found
something socially acceptable, where as they have not.
So now that I've got you thinking, consider
this. What if you were to have an addiction so bad that if you do not start and
end your day in a drunken stupor or a thrilling high, you feel empty? What if,
every time you took out a razor, rolled a joint, or took a swig from a bottle, you
didn't think about what you were doing? You couldn't think about what you were
doing, because deep down you know it's hurting someone other than yourself,
whether it be your family, your friends, your son or daughter; whomever it is,
you know you're letting them down. But what if this was all you had, what if,
despite all those people who love you, this was all that could make you feel
alive? This was all you had to drag you through one day after another; the fuel that kept you going...
Tell me now, do you feel redemption for these
people? I do. Yes, what they're doing is wrong, what they're doing isn't a way
out, isn't a right answer, isn't this and isn't that, but instead of trying to
scold them, to point out their wrongs, shouldn't we try and help
them? They're people too; they're people in danger at that. And weren't we
taught, since we were young, that helping people is good? It shouldn't matter
what someone needs help with, one should be willing to do so regardless.
I know I am.
So take a second, and think. I'm sure you
know someone, someone you care about, who has a problem. And if you don't,
you're the luckiest human being in the whole world and you should be beyond thankful
for not having to watch them suffer day in and day out.
But, to those of you who do know someone, just
think of the last time you tried to help them. I'm not talking about getting
them help, they won't listen to you. They won't listen to you yelling, or you telling
them how disappointed they've made you; they've learned to be numb to words such
as those. No, instead think of the last time you told them you loved them, told
them you cared, told them you were there for them, told them they're not a sorry
excuse of a person, a failure, etc.
Really think, because if you don't, it's as if you're
allowing them to do this. It's as if you're willingly letting them take minutes, hours,
days, off their lives, simply because you're too 'proud' to let them
know you care.
Put your pride aside, please. Don't make the mistake I did. Please, help
those you love. Don't let them go, ever. You can be angry at them, you can
resent them for what they've done, but please don't ever cut ties, don’t ever
walk out on them. They know they're hurting you, but they need to know you
care, they need it. They need it much more than you need to prove a point.
Don't let them go, because you will lose them. That's a
promise I'm willing to make.
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