You tell me how sad you are.
I empathize.
I hold you and share your pain.
Can you tell me why you are so sad?
The sickness in your body.
The turmoil in the world.
The confusion in your mind.
The overwhelm in your emotions.
I hug you and tell you how sorry I am that you feel that way.
But I am a madman.
You don’t know I’m mad, but I am.
I am a madman through and through.
I have not a sane thought in my mind or a normal feeling in my body.
I am a madman, though I look normal from the outside.
Notice the flowers, I say.
Feel your breath, I say.
Smell the raindrops dancing on your shoulder, I say.
Play with the hair of your beloved, I say.
Wiggle your toes in the sand, I say.
Feel the love in your heart, I say.
Gasp at the mystery of existence, I say.
In this moment, be mad with me.
Are your sorrows real? They are.
Is ecstasy always present? It is.
Are those reasons for feeling bad real? They are.
Are you breathing now? You are.
You must decide whether you will notice
You must decide whether you will notice the love that is here.
You must decide whether you will notice your breathing.
You must decide how you will live.
You must decide what you will pay attention to.
Whether you will notice the beauty, or lose your mind in the tragedy.
Come with me. Let’s be mad together.
