Life is not about keeping track
of different things that burden your sack.
It is not about the number of friends,
or how accepted you are by people or kin.

Life is not whether you out all the time,
or if you're alone at the drop of a dime.
It isn't about the people you date,
how many, or who, or if you're out late.

Life isn't about what part of town you live in,
Or what you drive, your money, or where you have been.
It isn't about where you vacation or go to school,
Whether your beautiful or look like a mule.

It's not about the clothes you always wear,
or if you go to the salon or do your own hair.
It makes no difference what kind of music you like,
Or whether you go to the movies in a car or on a bike.

It isn't about your nationality,
too dark or too light...that shouldn't be.
Life isn't about the classes you take,
or even about the grades that you make.

It's not about what others think about you,
or even what all of those tests say you should do.
Life isn't about how good you are at your sport,
or what club or offices you hold in the court.

It's not about your ability to read and write,
or seeing if your accepted by the majority right.

But life is about the ones you love or hurt,
about keeping your word and not throwing dirt.
It's about who you make happy and who you make glad,
And it's about doing it on purpose and not being sad.

It's about making sure people can put their trust in you,
It's about keeping a friendship, and creating some new.
It's about knowing what to say that will always be true,
And knowing when to say it to show you are true-blue.

It's knowing how to stop the rumor and not just letting it run,
And not saying petty gossip, not even just for fun.
Life is about who you have ignored and friends that are on a hinge,
It's about jealousy, fear, ignorance, and even sometimes revenge.

Life is about stopping the hate and don't follow those that will not,
It's about love and being with those who look where joy is sought,
But most of all, life is reaching out and touching others with care,
Or you can choose not to touch the ones you don't know that are there.

You can do a random act of kindness without letting anyone know,
Who you are or why, and strike a silent kindness blow.
So get it together and act like you want others to act towards you,
And you'll find out that life's too short, for all the good you want to do.

By Nancy Ellis