Choice, love and humanity

I’ve been almost consumed with thoughts of humanity lately. Sad thoughts, in my mind realistic thoughts. I don’t know if these new thought patterns are a sign of growing older, a sign that I’m swallowing that bitter pill we call “reality”. What I do know is they make me unbearably sad and hopeless. Yet however I spin it I can’t get away from my realizations that humanity is a lost, broken and pitiful race. Or that no matter the good we create we continually wreck this beautiful earth till its groaning in complaint. The dark has been snuffing out the light in my perspective, something that is new and unwelcome in my mind.
This morning though I was thinking of someone I love and how just being around him makes me smile and feel safe. With this thought I slowly made the realization just what a blessing that is. Despite our shortcomings as a race, despite the pain and hardships we conflict on ourselves we still have these beautiful things like love & companionship. The ability to be with one another and have this bring and give happiness is an unbelievable treasure that has been programmed into this world. And then my pessimistic mind chimes in “yea but look what we can do to each other; look at the trust that can be broken, the bodies that can be harmed. Its best to avoid these joys because look at these pains”. Sure, OK thats also true, and many people choose a path that avoids the risk of these pains but it also avoids the possibility of these pleasures. But the pure power of that decision, the ability in this hectic and confusing world to share together with another being. That is a gift, one that I feel is so specific to our race and that should not be ignored and wasted.
So with that realization I continue on my day. Realizing yes, somethings in this life are ugly and despairing but within all that there is unbelievable beauty. Like being able to call a friend and communicate your thoughts or lying close to someone and feeling their heartbeat. Having the capability to love, this unlocks human potential in a way no other thing will.