A scientist will tell you,

That you are 206 bones,

And 264 square inches of skin.

They may tell you that you are 8 pints of blood,

6 feet in height,

And roughly 175 pounds,

If you are average.

They will tell you that you are one heart,

Two lungs,

One liver, two kidneys,

And 60,000 miles of blood vessels.

But the scientist cannot answer the question:

What are you?

 

The theologian will tell you,

That you are one lost soul,

And another dollar in the offering.

They will tell you that you are how many people you can convert,

How many ancient laws you can uphold,

How many pages a night you can read,

And how many scriptures you know like the back of your hand.

But even with God on their side,

The theologian cannot answer the question:

What are you?

 

A teacher will tell you,

That you are the grades on your paper,

And the test scores you can attain.

They will tell you that you are the number of AP classes you take,

The number of community service hours that you do,

And the amount of time you spend studying.

They will tell you that you are how many benchmarks you hit,

How many essays you write,

And they will tell you over and over and over again,

That you are

One

Two

Three

Points away from perfect.

But the teacher cannot answer the question:

What are you?

 

All of these people with the best intentions

Fail repeatedly to answer the question we are asking.

But the problem is not the scientist,

Or the theologian,

Or the teacher.

They cannot know what you are,

Because they are not you.

So to answer your question,

Look to the mirror.

Because the scientist does not know the love you have for your best friend,

And the theologian does not see the way you watch over your little brother.

The teacher does not know that you turn your ringer up at night,

In case someone needs you.

The scientist cannot know the gentle thoughts you think,

Or the way you love to watch the rain dance on a lake.

The theologian does not know that you spend 8 hours a week,

Sitting in front of piano, creating music out of pure passion.

The teacher does not see the way you light up when you talk about your favorite things,

And they do not see you without the many masks you must wear to make it through the day.

So do not ask these people what you are,

Because they cannot see you.

You are the sum of all of the good you hold inside,

All of the good that the scientist,

And the theologian,

And the teacher,

Just cannot know.