In the end, it’s only by looking at ourselves that we understand the true meaning of things. At least of our own distorted way of seeing reality. It’s only by looking at the mirror that we face our own narcissism.

We put ourselves on a pedestal for a minute there. We observe our favorite traits and notice our negative ones. We choose to live with them or do something about it. We resign to the fact that some things can’t be changed and it makes them worse than ever before. We forget all we learned from the best we had only to get an inflated, distorted idea of our importance in the world. As if we mattered any more than they do.

For a minute there it’s only you. You, you, you, you, you.

You forget the piece of s— you actually are and think of changing, improving, doing better. You make plans for yourself and forget the importance of all the others in your life. You only use them as you need them and discard them when you’re done. Yet you don’t realize life takes as much as it gives if you don’t give back.

When it all falls, you blame your grandparents, your parents, your siblings, your peers. But ultimately it all depends on you. It all depends on how you see the world. It all depends on your efforts for being kind and showing some empathy to the others close to you.

In that sense, a friend used to say that people are like plants. They rejoice when you water them but they also feel when you don’t. And eventually, if you forget to water them one day too many, they dry. They die. First on the inside. Then on the outside.

So you look back in time. You remember how tiny that plant was when you first got it, how beautiful it turned out to be and, perhaps, how important it was – now that it’s gone.

You grab it and throw it away. There’s nothing you can do about it anymore.

You notice the mirror on the way, stop, look at it. You notice your eyes shine a little less today, and that doesn’t make you feel comfortable. So you practice a fake new smile until it becomes real. The mirror looks back at you. You can tell the difference in your smile yet you decide to ignore it and move on.

You killed a tree. So what? This story was never about that tree anyway.