the benefit of the doubt

My favorite bible verse has always been 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all let your love for one another be intense, for love covers a multitude of sins." I've always been a big fan of second changes and sometimes third and fourth ones too. A lot of people I know think I am a little too understanding and forgive too easily but I am a firm believer in the benefit of the doubt. I try every day to see the best in people and find their potential even when no one else can see it. People are so dreadfully flawed and so many of us are broken and struggling to find the tiniest glimmer of hope that we'll be able to put all of the pieces back together. It's such a beautifully human thing to fall short, to admit your flaws and failings, and to stand up and try again. When a person lashes out, it's so easy to assume that they're just not a nice enough person instead of that they're scared or pushing away because they've been hurt so many times before. When a person fails over and over again, it's so easy to assume that they're weaker than you or just not putting in the effort instead of realizing that sometimes fighting your inner demons takes all the strength you have and doesn't leave a lot left over for the purposes of the outside world. It's so easy to walk away when things get difficult and so very hard to stay and help someone fight their battles but I believe it's nearly always worth it. Even if things don't end ideally, there's always a lesson to learn and maybe that person will be strengthened going forward knowing that just that once someone was willing to put in the effort and share their burdens. Tonight, I completed all of the paperwork for my graduate school applications and even though I was already pantsless and it was cold outside, I managed to get up, put on my sweats, and walk to Walgreen's to pick up cat food. That might not seem like much to some but even a few weeks ago this would have seemed like an impossible task to accomplish and tonight, that is enough. Tomorrow there will be more hurdles to jump and steps forward to be made and yes, even steps back because the dance of life would be awfully dull without a little chacha. You never know what heaviness a person is carrying and how long they've been doing it all on their own.