A letter

Dear Friend,

Just like a rose you've got some of the toughest thorns;

but right at the center of your heart you are the most lovely 

shade of red; you have a beautiful soul.

 And I think that if people would just stop to notice you 

and if you let them, 

that all the prickers and the edge would disappear from your tone. 

Because it is not like you don't want friends, it's 

more that you are afraid

of opening the deep labyrinth of your heart. 

Maybe the maze inside frightens you as well?

 Love wreaks lives, so you've heard. 

It brings out the worst in us; 

you've heard your parents say.

You've seen so called love break hearts and take away joy;

you've seen I do's turn into divorce.

So like a turtle you crept away into your shell,

and the thorns begin to get thicker and sharper.

It's safer this way. You said.

No more hurting and no more pain. 

But those thorns are starting to bend inwards, aren't they?

The wall of your shell is closing in, isn't it?

Sometimes playing it safe isn't safe at all. 

Sometimes opening your heart is the surest way of protecting it;

because pain brings healing; healing brings growth. 

Sorrow brings tears and tears water the garden of your heart.

Isn't it time you let the ice melt? 

Isn't it time you trimmed those thorns? 

Because I know you have a beautiful soul and I've seen you smile;

it's breathtaking to see the way your eyes sparkle.

You are like chocolate that melts in your mouth and 

leaves a lingering sweet taste:

You are like iced tea on a hot day, or cool water in the desert. 

You are the pansy that grows in the crevices where no one sees

and the black keys on a piano.

You are darkness with an abundance of stars

and I know you could shine if only you let the Light in. 

 Maybe if you cracked open the shell

and faced everything you're afraid of you would find freedom?

But maybe that's too much to think about right now.

So maybe you don't want to open your heart;

maybe you firmly believe that it's too risky and that

the only person to trust is yourself. Okay,

but would you do one thing for me, please?

Would you go outside this evening

when the sky is changing from light to dark,

and would you walk up to that hill behind your house and look up at the sky?

Notice all the stars and the full moon, and

then lift your hands and take a deep, deep breath.

Shut out all the voices; leave them banging at the front door

and simply breathe. In out. Recognize the smell

of the honey suckle bush and capture it.

Remember the way the cicadas sing and talk 

to yourself in the dark. Please, tell yourself all your fears;

look deep inside your heart and uncover every moment when you 

thought love was something wonderful.

And after you've done that, know that

you are loved. Deeply, passionately, and those stars

above you? Those are His love token to you. He died for you, you know.
The son of God died. For you;
you were guilty and He paid the price. 

My dear friend, you are loved.

So maybe loving and losing,

laughing and crying are marvelous things after all.

And maybe you don't need to hide from them. 

For to feel, no matter what the emotion is truly beautiful.

Whether it's watching your best friend walk down the isle,

or kneeling beside a casket that holds the body of a deeply loved one:

To feel is to be alive.

Don't you think you could let His love open your heart?

I hope one day you'll find the courage to take the leap,

but until that day I will stand by you and never ever

stop reminding you that you are:

special

amazing

talented

lovely

and capable of loving to an incredible extent;

you have a bigger heart than the rest of us.

And that you are loved. Like really really loved.

You have a beautiful soul, my friend.

I'll always be here.

            -your friend.

p.s. This letter is dedicated to all the people that are frightened of loving. To all the hundreds of people that share the same pain. To the thousands with scars on their hearts and the ones who have vowed never to love again. This letter is for you.