The Pagan Bodhisattva

I love, cherish, and honor those who bring me happiness:
They bring me buckets of sunshine.

I love, cherish, and honor those who bring me grief:
They remind me that my labor outpaces the sun.

I love, cherish, and honor those who are joyous:
They glow like distilled moonlight.

I love, cherish, and honor those who grieve:
They bring me hope for humanity.

I love, cherish, and honor those who praise me:
They give me momentum.

I love, cherish, and honor those who condemn me:
They give me pause.

I love, cherish, and honor those who are kind:
They trace the footfalls of our teachers.

I love, cherish, and honor those who are cruel:
They make learning a duty.