Everybody’s Fighting

Inspired by a conversation with my dear buddy Wayne Briscoe.
Wayne told me some years ago he was going to investigate Buddhism, and he did. He told me many wonderful wisdoms about the practice, one of which was that when someone attacks us or is aggressive towards us, remember in that split second that they are not fighting you but rather themselves. If you can remember that instead of attacking back, you can ask, “are you ok?”
For me this is still work in progress, and I’ve had my share of battles lost.

I’ve had my share of battle’s lost
So I lick my wounds and count the cost
I can carry my pain to my grave 
It’s been way too easy for me to hate

Everybody’s fighting, everybody’s fighting a war
For some it’s every hour, for others they’re not really sure
Everybody’s bleeding, everybody’s weak from the fight
I just came to tell you, I surrender tonight

I know the one who hurt you is down
Served way too long in life's battleground
But no white flag is flying for him, healing’s a sin
But the truce we all need is from within

If only my scar, it was skin deep 
And not way way down, changing how I sleep
It starts with me and ends with you 
There’s no need to take cover
If we see this through