and so i will become a refuge

i went to listen to a buddhist monk speak in salt lake city on a few weeks ago, and while i'll admit that most of it went over my head, his emphasis on compassion stuck with me. life is suffering and it is universal. we all suffer.  the good thing about it is that it enables us to understand and empathize with all other feeling beings on this planet. the more we feel, the more we can feel for others. the more we empathize, the more we become a part of the world family. and when we feel connected to each other, as family, as we are, we wish no suffering upon anybody else. the goal of buddhism is to push through adversity with determination and patience in order to find refuge and to become a refuge from others. while this monk said it was first necessary to find a refuge yourself and be perfected before you can act as a refuge, i'm taking a little bit of a different view on it. i will be a refuge and i will be one now.

i love you. i will love you. i will love you if you reject the norm and i will love you if you embrace it. i will love you for your successes but most importantly for your mistakes. i will do my best, as humanly possible, to love unconditionally.
i will not be afraid to disagree with you if i think that you are wrong, but i will never condemn you. i will try my best to listen before i refute. i will expect the same from you. i will treat you with respect and i will not call you names. we will be equals.

i will be a safe place and i will welcome you in. my heart can offer a lot of shelter.