From Sparks to Ashes

Hate starts small, just a tiny spark or a little wind, but before you know it, it turns into a raging fire, burning everything in its path. It's a force that rips people apart, makes them feel worthless, like they don’t matter at all. I know that pain—it’s deep and cuts in ways you can’t even explain. Hate isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something that’s created—by fear, by misunderstanding, by hurt, by our enemies, by society, by those around us. Sometimes, the people who hate on you make you feel so small, so helpless, that you end up hating others in return. But it’s not just that. It’s also when you’re surrounded by your friends, and you want to fit in. Everyone around you is doing it, so you join in, even though your first emotion was sadness and happiness, and your first feeling was confusion, hope, and excitement as you were just born into this dead planet. It’s easy to fall into that cycle, thinking there’s only one right answer—you don’t want to stand out or get hated on for being different, except sometimes you want to stand out, but you want to stand out the right way… but there is no right way to stand out.the brightest stars are dimmed by the darkness around them, and no one escapes the weight of judgment, the most beautiful flowers can be picked apart or criticized, and no one is immune to hate. Even the tallest trees can be uprooted by the storm’s fierce winds, and no one is immune to the forces of hate. But just because others are feeding the fire, it doesn’t mean you have to add to it. You fight fire with water, cold with heat—so what do you fight hate with? Love. Kindness. You can’t fight hate with hate, just like you can’t fight fire with fire; all that does is make the flames burn brighter. It’s the only thing that can stop the spread, the only thing that can turn those flames into ashes. Even after the fire is out, there is still charcoal, a residue, memories—the embers still smolder, but with time and care, they fade, leaving nothing behind but peace. Kindness can heal, lift people up, and make the world feel a little better. Love is the water that can turn all that hate into dust. The hate may have faded, but like smoke in the air, it was once there, leaving a trace that lingers, a reminder of the damage it caused, but also of the strength it took to clear it away.