I write this after witnessing a man go off on a youth calling the young boy all kinds of things; from ‘you are nothing’ to threatening to harm the youth. This because a piece of the man’s property was damaged. The rage was real. And who knows the whole story of the man as he too was once a youth. The cycle of violence also real.
To the youth in our families, our communities, our schools, our justice systems, our societies, our countries, our world who are incessantly blamed, cursed, threatened, judged, labelled, given up on, I write:
We see you.
And there is not
evil
or unworthiness
stupidness
or dunceness
bad mindedness
or wickedness;
there is not hauntedness
or nothingness
surging through your blood
your body
your bones
there is just goodness
waiting to be discovered
uncovered
protected
encouraged
supported
loved
seen
heard
affirmed
We see you
and we hope
one day
others will
see you too