I’m Not Asking You to Care, but Please Try to Understand

I must say, “I care about you” is a very foreign expression for me to receive. It’s as foreign as seeing how we aliens are somehow in disbelief that happiness can be varied. It’s not that I don’t appreciate those who care about me. For me, caring isn’t something that you need to do or must do because you don’t need justification to be able to care for someone. And before that, you must understand the person in front of you first.

People may think that caring is the very basic form of appreciation that we long for. For me, no. It’s never about being cared for or caring for someone. Understanding is the basis of everything. You can’t simply tell people that you care about them before trying to understand them.

We know that people have so many backgrounds and different upbringings. You can’t simply barge in to fulfill their basic needs of appreciation by doing something that you never grasped before. The lyrics of “Sometimes” by Britney Spears are somewhat a simple explanation of how you need to understand a person that you thought you’d care about.

They need time, they need to build up their confidence and courage before taking simple forward steps. Not everyone is built like you. We are built differently. We are built. Never forget that. Just try to be there for someone that you know is struggling. I mean, figuratively. You don’t have to dedicate yourself to others 24/7. It’s weird.

Build a rapport, forge a connection, be patient, and try to understand them. The world doesn’t and will never revolve around you unless you count yourself as one of those top 1%. As for me, I do want to be understood, but I don’t think I have the time to ask you to do that. You don’t need to worry; I know how to survive. I’ll be better.