I don't know you, but I love you.

I don’t know your name, or where you’re from. I don’t know whether or not English is your first language (it isn’t mine). 

I don’t know whether you read or write or draw. I don’t know if you like to watch movies or TV series or play video games. I don’t know what you do for fun. 

I don’t know what your religion is, if you have one. I don’t know what your political affiliation is, should you even sympathize with any.

I don’t know if you’re male or female or what your sexual orientation is, either. I don’t know if you’re comfortable in your own body. 

I don’t know if you’re bullied or not - I really hope you’re not. If you are, I am truly, terribly sorry. No one should have to go through that under any circumstances.

I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about ending your life for whatever reason. I don’t know if you hurt your own body to cope with the emotional pain. I hope you haven’t and I hope you don’t.

Whatever your answer to any of these unknowns is, the fact remains that I love you.

Not in a romantic sense, but as a friend and, to an extent, as family. 

Because no matter what your belief is, mine tells me that we’re all made of the same basic components found everywhere in nature - everywhere in the universe. We’re made of stars and suns and planets long gone. 

And that bonds me to you in a level that goes beyond any differences in appearance, faith, convictions, thoughts. 

We may disagree on fundamental levels. We may fight bitterly over what each of us believes to be the truth. We may never see eye to eye on many things. I may get mad at you, insult you and even say that I hate you. It is a spur of the moment thing - deep down, under all the anger and bitterness, I still love and respect you. 

At the end of the day, you’re as special and unique as I am. To attack you in any way would be to attack myself. It would be a betrayal to my core. 

So if you ever feel lonely or sad, if you’re bullied or teased and see no way out, remember that I love you. Know that the world would certainly notice your absence, that a tiny part of me suffers every time you’re down, and that if you disappeared altogether, a part of me would also leave with you. 

You’re an inspiration. It is because of you that I write these lines. It is because of you that I strive every day to be better, to be stronger. I believe that my progress will reflect upon you and the rest of us. 

I don’t know you, but I love you and I’m here for you.