What Sadness Taught me

I have no room for hate in the world, and I’ve always forgiven anyone who’s ever done me wrong—and I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s already too much hate out there, whether it’s the world struggling to get along or someone choosing to hurt someone else. There are two ways to see the meaning of life. One is to live it to the fullest: find your true love, start a family, and pass those dreams on to future generations. The other? That no matter how hard you try, happiness doesn’t last forever. That we are small, and the universe is ever-expanding. That, in the grand scheme of things, nothing we do will matter billions of years from now. And honestly, I see it both ways. There’s something about finding fulfillment before death that brings peace—and I think I’ve found that. I’m not afraid to die. I feel nothing when staring into the face of death, because I know I’d be at peace, laying all that hatred and hurt to rest. I’ll always be grateful to the people who shaped me. But people have limits—whether it’s fitting into society or finding true love. I thought I’d found love many times, but I never found salvation. I wanted to love and be loved. But I’ve given up. I’ve always treated others the way they’ve wanted to be treated. I’ve lived by this: treat people with respect, and love thy neighbor—even if you hold hatred in your heart. Because at the end of the day, we’re all just people. And we all see the world differently. Even the worst people can change the world for the better. You can quote me on that. Coming to peace with life has taught me that it’s okay to be lonely, to be sad—because sadness fuels every emotion, even happiness. Sadness becomes the foundation of our drive, our values, our routines, and our choices. It’s what sculpts our personality. Sadness drives us to feel anything but sadness. It’s hard to explain, but you’d never know true happiness without having known true sorrow. Without sadness, there would be no empathy. No regret. No reflection. It has sparked both greed and generosity. It’s driven revolutions and ended wars. It’s led people to fight for what they felt was right in the moment. Sadness is why we see the world so differently. It’s what teaches us perspective. You can’t truly understand your emotions until you’ve lived through your lowest lows. That’s why I’ve come to believe—sadness is not our enemy. It’s the compass.