validation

as if life wasn’t difficult enough
as if finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning
wasn’t enough of a challenge,
we still look for validation.

whether it is a parent, a spouse, a girlfriend or boyfriend,
a brother, a sister, a best friend or any member of the
extended family,
there is a pressure that comes from outside us,
acting as if it had a place in our lives,
as if we needed to prove to others that
we have done something worthwhile
with our time on this big ball of dirt & rock.

the truth is that the time spent trying to impress those
that we have given special meaning to ourselves,
we steal away from our own lives moments that we will never
get back---
the time spent climbing a ladder towards some kind of
“success” for the sake of getting a pat on the back or a nod,
or some kind of final realization that all hadn’t been done for
nothing,
drags
us
down.

no one needs to be validated or
approved of or stamped on the way in &
checked by the sensor on the way out---
we all live, we all die & if there is any remote possibility that
we can have even an iota of enjoyment
in between,
so be it.