Life does throw people curve balls.

The thing is, usually, we feel for orphans and widows, don't we?

Hardly do we notice though, that there are those under our very noses who aren't orphans and widows who sometimes even have able bodied and even well to do parents, and husbands, yet in actual fact, live way beyond par.

What's most painful about it is the fact that society hardly 'sees' them, nor acknowledges their situation, so they suffer in silence, much worse than widows and orphans, sometimes, who easily have the empathy of others. Considering also, several other ugly issues constantly resulting from their situation, which isn't exactly the case with orphans and widows.

Thing about it is these people wear their pain as though a garland around their necks.

You see, nobility is in their DNA so you won't necessarily see their heads bowed, because by no fault of theirs, they don't really know how to hang their heads, nor hide, per se.

It's not just in their character to wear their pain on their sleeves.

Yet, when you see them thin and emaciated, you think it's 'dieting'.

See them in torn jeans, you imagine it's 'fashion'.

They drop out of school, it doesn't even occur to you that lack of funding could've been the cause.

They faint right before you, you wave it away; "oh they must be on something".

Indeed time does have a way with wounds so in time, some by sheer grit, do find their feet but there are those others who are not able to.

They spiral downwards. If you saw them who once knew them, you wouldn't even recognize them,

nor do they recognize themselves.

How they've lost faith in everything they once believed ( or wanted to believe) .

What a blessing indeed, to identify such a one amongst very many other humans.

With a seeing eye,

a listening ear,

a hand holding,

a smile.

With empathy where others never saw.

Sometimes it takes just a little to help guide another human towards light.

Other times, it takes a little more, and some.

But how do we know if we don't try?