A Story About Feeling Sorry For The People I’ve Never Even Met

For all the people struggling right now, I am sorry.

I am sorry for the people who are treated differently because of the way they look. The person who’s afraid to go outside because they fear that people are staring and making fun of them. The person who refuses to look at themselves in the mirror because they can’t bear their reflection. The person who wishes they looked like the faces they saw on television or in magazines because they’re considered beautiful. The person who’s told that they would be pretty if they lost weight, if their skin was lighter, if they changed anything and everything about the way they were born. The person who truly feels that they are ugly and that they will always feel ugly. I am sorry you hate the way you look, that you feel hatred for your own body.

I am sorry for the person who can’t live their full truth. The person who knows who they are but is unable to accept themselves because society doesn’t accept them. The person who denies what they’re feeling about themselves and their identity because they’ve been taught that it’s shameful, even amoral. The person who’s told that they’re just going through a phase and will get over it. The person who’s told they’re going to hell for a part of their identity that they have no control over. The person who cannot find support in their biological family, the first people in the world who are supposed to care about them. The person who cannot come out because they are afraid of what will happen to them afterward. I know what it feels like to deny a part of your identity, and I can’t imagine what it’s like to have people tell you that who you are as a person is wrong. I am sorry you feel this way and were made to feel this way by people who are cruel to you.

I am sorry for the person struggling with finances right now. Money problems are nothing new and have only exacerbated since the pandemic started. The person who’s laid off right now and struggling to find a job. The person who keeps getting their resumes rejected. The person who is offered interviews but then turned down from the job offer. The person who’s told they don’t have enough education or experience for the job. The person who never hears back from an employer months after their application. The person who’s trying to get on federal aid but is getting nowhere as the days go on. The person who is told that they need to pull themselves up their bootstraps and find a job. The person who’s told that they’re lazy because they’re out of work or that they should’ve gone to college or gotten an internship to open more doors to work. I am sorry you are dealing with this right now. I don’t know your situation, but I know that you are hurting, and for that, I am sorry.

I am sorry for the person who’s battling their own mind that seems to betray them at any second. The person who’s brain tells them they’re not good enough for others, or even themselves, despite them trying so hard to survive and just live. The person who finds it hard to get out of bed in the morning because that means another day is upon them, and that means more suffering. The person who wonders if there’s even a point of life, of moving on and going on. The person who’s told they’re just being difficult and not trying hard enough. The person who’s told that they need to just start thinking more positively and things will get better. The person who’s told that there are people worse off than them, so they shouldn’t feel bad for themselves anyway. The person who’s told they have so much to live for when they don’t feel it in their hearts. I feel for you. No one should feel that way; it is unbearable, and I am sorry you are feeling that right now.

Finally, I am sorry for all the other people struggling right now. People whose problems I don’t know about or have never heard of myself. People who are barely getting by, day by day. People who are trying to live, but can’t because of the pain that is in their lives. If you are suffering, I am so sorry you are experiencing this pain right now.

I’m sorry for all the people who are struggling right now. I never want to pity anyone, and I know my sorries won’t fix your problems or make the pain go away. More than anything, I wish I could take away all your pain. But I can’t, and the only thing I can offer you is my empathy and sympathy. But I hope you know that I am sorry you are suffering. I hope you know I am thinking of you. I hope you know that I hope things turn around for you for the better. Most of all, I hope you know that there is someone out there who cares about you.