Unseen Scars

The unseen scars are the hardest to bear.

The ones that are seared into our minds by burning memories, or etched into our hearts by razor-sharp despair.

With no air, or light, or simple remedy to heal these wounds, they feel like boulders resting in the depths of our stomachs. They force us to trudge forwards, lagging behind the rest since the weight of our burdens drags us down.

We reach out for a helping hand; one that will allow us to regain our footing; one that will propel us forward.

But there are none to reach for.

Even when we plead for a hand, they’re quickly retracted when others search for signs of our scars.

“You don’t look hurt.”

“It doesn’t seem as if you need a hand.”

“He just wants attention.”

“She’s being overdramatic.”

“Don’t listen to them, they’re not really in pain.”

But little do they know about what brews underneath the surface.

If only they knew how our blood boiled from the heat of our trauma. If only they could see how it aches right to the core of our bones.

Maybe then they’d extend a hand.

Maybe then they’d try to comprehend our pain.

As far as they’re concerned, if they can’t see it, it’s not really there.

But I challenge them. I challenge everyone. Look into the depths of another’s soul, not with your eyes, but with your heart and your mind.

Feel their burdens intertwine with yours.

Feel as they mesh and mash together.

Listen to the cries of your fellow man.

Listen as they sing a song of sorrow and strife with their sobs.

Cry with them as they shed their tears.

Don’t be afraid to shed some too.

Extend a hand, and never let go.

For the only way to mend the wounds and heal the scars we can’t see is with a force we can’t quite eye; love.

Let your compassion, your empathy, your love, mend the wounds and heal the scars of your fellow man.

Let it fill you up inside so you can share it with another. Then maybe, just maybe, we can all begin to heal.

Now, this compassion, this empathy, this love, it may not be enough to completely vanquish the scars we cannot see.

However, they sure make them a hell of a lot easier to bear.