Sometimes we hold people to a different standard than they hold themselves

sometimes,

we hold people to a different standard than they hold themselves,

we expect more from them,

than they would expect of themselves

we expect warmth, and kindness, and curiosity

and can't understand why they don't know show the same,

because we would.

we feel let down, and it hurts.

we come from a place of our own values, our own backgrounds,

and forget that is our story,

and not theirs

sometimes, we hold people to standards

that they never feigned to own

and measure them in ways

they never claimed or agreed to

and when they fall short

by our own measurements, not theirs,

we mourn a version of them that never truly was

and it is our disappointment, and our frustration,

not theirs.

and yes, we can feel let down when our values misalign

and when people don't show up for us in the way that we would like.

though, maybe we release from our expectations,

and let them just simply be

rather than hope desperately they will fit the version we create

and we can be empowered with choice in our acceptance of reality