The Softest Armor

Armor was created to protect the most important parts of a person's body during battle. Even myself, when I think of armor, I think of the shiny suits that knights used to wear back in medieval times, fighting with swords trying to guard their kingdom. Even thinking about that, the knights fighting to protect their kingdom, even they were the kingdom's "armor". 

Armor today is quite different, bullet proof vests made from Kevlar to protect, again, the most important parts of the fighter's body. There are armored vehicles, armored buildings, armored phones even. Take it even closer to home for a moment.

What about the armor of the every day person's body? There's your skin right at the surface. Muscle tissue below that protects your bones. Your rib cage protects the lungs and heart. Your heart. Most important thing in your body, perhaps, holds the softest armor of all.

The physical part of your heart really isn't the softest, but the mental part that guards your heart is the softest. Every day I see or hear at least twelve different stories about love on Facebook or Twitter. People falling in love, people becoming engaged, marrying, new parents. There's also the loss, heartbreak, strain, and the loneliness. You may know someone who is going through a blow to that soft armor. Maybe it's even you who is. 

If you know one of those people, tell them they aren't alone. There is hurt everywhere in this world, but just as much as there is hurt, there is happiness. It's easy to thrive in the bad, it really is, but you need to be there for them. And if you're one of those people, know it gets better. Maybe not right away but it will someday. You'll get your chance to feel again, to bring down the walls you maybe put back up to protect yourself. It's never too late to soften your heart, but don't be afraid to guard it. Be afraid to lose that feeling. Make it a priority to never lose that part of yourself no matter how much it hurts. And surround yourself in things you love; sing till you can't anymore, dance till you fall, laugh till it hurts, fill up the tank and go as far as you can on one tank of gas. 

If there's one thing I want you to take away from this, it's to not give up on what seems impossible. Love is just as unpredictable as the future. Do not be afraid to wear the softest armor. Ever.

"I don't wish to be everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone" - Javan