Love They Neighbor: My Story

A lot of people wonder why I’m so concerned on listening to people’s problems and respecting people. Well, in the bible, chapter Mark 12:31”‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Or in other words, an typical elementary’s school’s Golden Rule: “Treat others how you’d like to be treated”. This rule and this commandment are going to occur in many situations in your life, for example, I have this one friend I was stuck like glue with since the day I could remember. We played with each other, we talked countless amounts of hours, and we always slept over each others houses. She understood me and listened to me when no one else would. She is my other half and I wouldn't be here without her. But right until around 4th grade is when she began changing her lifestyle a little bit. 
 

She gained weight, she had bushy eyebrows, and knotty hair but inside was a big heart of love and an even big brain full of dreams and goals. Unfortunately people looked at her worldly shell and made fun of her. She cried every time we talked because she always thought of what mean things they said to her. She cried every time I hugged her because her parents wouldn't listen to her sobs for help when she returned home. 
 

Love thy neighbor. The tormenting got so incredibly horrible she skipped lunch just to cry in the bathroom, and even believed throwing whatever she ate up would make her the ideal size that her classmates were. After a while, they finally moved to a place not too far from where they started. She still, however, was being made fun of every day. When people saw that she grew a love for a boy in her class, everyone made sure to embarrass her. They told him, wrote notes to him with her name on it, and even told the teacher. She came home covered in tears of rage and humiliation. 

Love thy neighbor. She was trying to discover herself in middle school, like everyone else was. In sixth grade, she thought being a tomboy defined her; showing how tough she was and didn't allowed anyone to make fun of her. To her surprise, that plan failed when a whole group of 8th graders called her a “dyke”. 
 

Love thy neighbor. In seventh grade, she believed the darker Gothic look suited how she felt about herself; dead. Plan B exploded when she was experimenting with alcohol, judged by her teacher and her parents, and even molested by her best friend at that time. Lastly in 8th grade, she felt the need to be exposed. Showing boys that she wanted to be loved and was desperate for attention. Her last plan didn't work out in results of having guys touch her before she was ready. They called her a “prude” and girls called her a “whore”. She was so confused she didn't know her purpose. She didn't understand what she was doing wrong. Every time she changed to satisfy someone, there was always someone else unhappy with it. Most importantly, she was mainly the one unhappy with it. 
 

Love thy neighbor. She didn't know how express these mixed emotions to others, since no one listened to her in the past, so she took it her anger out on herself. She hated everything about her. She was weak, insecure, annoying, always ignored, and helpless. After she thought she had hit rock bottom, she tried to take her own life; multiple times. But fortunately, she’s sitting right here, at the other end of the computer screen, typing out these words.
 

Love thy neighbor. You have no idea what someone is facing, so why give them trouble? You don’t know if they've been abused, misused, raped, or just damaged and now hollow from the experiences they've had so Love Thy Neighbor.
 

All I want to do now is love my neighbor, because I know what it feels like to be rejected, made fun of, abused, beaten, and crippled so bad I looked in the mirror and couldn't even recognize myself. Mother Teresa once said, “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” Because without respect, love is lost. So before you open your mouth, turn to your friend and whisper something you think is funny,
Love thy neighbor.

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