A Mercy

Most days,
I judge myself harshly.
Most days,
I wonder
if I am doing things right.
And most days,
I keep these insecurities
inside.

So I am grateful
for a person
who wears their vulnerability
on the outside.
It is refreshing,
reassuring.

It is a mercy, really,
because it casts us both
in a gentler light
so that we can see
our own
and each other’s
imperfections
more dearly.

By Maria Brady-Smith

Photo by Mike Smith