Anonymous

If you’re reading this, know that the love you put into this world is never a waste. 

I’ve always loved big, or at least that's what my mom always called it. I get it from her; she gave me every ounce of love and every second of attention she had my entire childhood. I do the same for all of my friends, but when that compassion and dedication is not reciprocated, it's easy to feel used. The doubt creeps into your mind, telling you that it would be easier to close yourself off and stop giving so much of yourself to others. Then you wouldn’t have to feel so hurt and disappointed. But if you stopped caring, stopped giving, stopped loving, then you wouldn’t be you.

I’ve spent so many years letting other people in my life dictate how I feel. I once had a friend tell me that I had “too many feelings,” so I stopped opening up to her. I started to think everyone thought I was too much, so I made my feelings smaller. Not only did that prevent me from forging deep friendships, but I also made myself smaller in the process.

It wasn’t until I came to college that I realized that my ability to feel and love so deeply was what actually made me a good friend, not a bad one. I discovered finding joy in the small things: buying myself flowers, treating my friends to coffee, going on long walks and talking about every detail of your day. The thing is, friendships thrive on depth and compassion. Whether it be the highest of highs, or the lowest of lows, your true friends will want to be there with you for all of it. And once you find the people who will pour that love right back to you, you’ve hit the jackpot.

So talk to the girl in front of you in line for starbucks, ask the guy sitting next to you in class where he's from. Keep pouring your light and love into the universe, because it will come back to you in ways you wouldn’t even expect. Know that no matter what happens, the love you put into this world is never a waste.

Anonymous, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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