I Am Who I Am

          “Like me…

           Care for me…

           Love me…

           ….For who I am.”

          At some points in my life, I’d uttered those words to another person – someone I just met, someone I was getting to know, someone I loved and I called ‘friend’. I thought that if they want our relationship or friendship to last, they had to accept me with all my flaws and shortcomings. For why should I change to please others?

As I traverse this life, however, I also meet more people. Some of them I learned to like, care and love without particular reasons.  And I learned to somehow adjust in an honest effort to let them know how I feel to see they are pleased.

There were times, when unknown to them, I sacrifice my own pleasure in attempts of being there when (I thought) they needed me. And I didn’t care whether it’s appreciated or not.

There were times when I make myself a laughingstock just to belong. And I didn’t care whether they noticed it or not..

There were times when I laughed to camouflage those pent up emotions within.  And I didn’t care whether they understood me or not.

However, I must admit that whether they were aware or unaware, they have made a great difference in my life.

And there were times, when words were not enough to express my gratitude for all their efforts to support me in anyway they made it.  I trust that they like, care and love me back.

No matter where the future leads us, one thing I can be certain of, they are people whom I will forever cherish somewhere in my heart.

“Like me…

Care for me…

 Love me…

….For who I am.”

They re-echo those lines to justify unreasonable reasons and to mean that they cannot change to please me.

“I Am Who I Am (Read: foolish pride)

They didn’t know that somehow, I can smile as I realize it is just ‘foolish pride’ that encompasses their willingness to meet me halfway towards sustenance of our relationships.