Thank You For Not Being An Asshole
Omar Lopez

Thank You For Being A Kind Person

There are so many assholes wandering around this world that it can be hard to remember there are good people too. People who are trying their hardest to do the right thing. People who put their community before themselves, who act unselfishly when it really counts. Most of the time, the assholes take up too much space. They’re the loudest. They demand attention. And the people quietly doing the right thing sit in the background, being ignored. But you deserve to know how much you’re appreciated. Other people, who are doing the right thing just like you, are thankful you’re here. Thankful you’re on their side. Thankful they’re not alone in this messy world.

Thank you for being a good person. Thank you for putting other people first, even when it would be easiest to say fuck them and mind your own business. Thank you for taking other people’s feelings into consideration, for leading with kindness and love, for refusing to harden your heart even though this world makes niceness seem like a weakness. Thank you for trying your hardest to do the right thing, even though you’re a human and are bound to make mistakes. Thank you for learning and growing when you commit a wrong instead of insisting that you were in the right. Thank you for being a real adult, a grown-up who takes responsibility for the role they play in this universe.

Thank you for drowning out the noise of hatred. Thank you for recognizing that yes, there are horrible people who will never do the right thing, but there are also beautiful people who are trying their hardest. Thank you for seeing the good in the world, even though it’s easy to get distracted by all the evil. Thank you for waking up every morning and putting your best foot forward, even though there are moments when it all feels pointless.

Thank you for being a good person when it would be so much easier to do what’s best for yourself without taking any other people into consideration. Thank you for being a good person when it can sometimes feel like no one around you is doing the same. Thank you for being a good person when it requires so much more effort, so much more attention and care. Thank you for remembering that your words and actions matter, and that the smallest things can impact others more than you know. Thank you for staying mindful, and for staying kind.

Thank you for being a good person for the sake of being a good person. You’re not doing this to get a pat on the back. You’re not trying to earn brownie points or impress anybody. You’re simply doing the right thing because you have morals. You care. You want this world to be a better place, and even though you’re only one person, you’re doing your best to contribute. You’re leaving this universe better than you found it.