How to Protect the Things You Love

When did a kind heart become a weak heart?

Is it just a fairy tale that kind Kongji and Cinderella lived happily ever after? The more I live, the more I feel that, unlike fairy tales, reality is that kind people suffer losses. Lately, I've been writing down the things I've lost because of my kind heart in a notebook.

After a while of scribbling, I was overcome with frustration. What I had been paying attention to all this time wasn't a kind heart, but a weak heart. Even if I suffered financial and time losses, I understood and considered the other person, but they only casually said thank you. A person's sincerity is revealed through actions, not words.

The reason I didn't argue about the other person's selfish actions at the time was because I considered the relationship with that person and even the other relationships surrounding them. Looking back now, I wonder why I had to sacrifice myself to maintain peace with others.

Is there any need to live as a hero for others when I'm neither Superman nor Batman?

And no one even notices when I live kindly. Of course, I don't act kindly expecting recognition, but when I encounter someone who crosses the line, it's not easy to act like a saint.

The peace we easily perceive is maintained because of someone's sacrifice. The safety of the Republic of Korea, a divided nation, is because of those who sacrificed themselves for the country. Similarly, peace between people sometimes requires someone's sacrifice. I believed that maintaining good relationships was important, even if it meant enduring such sacrifices, but as I meet various people, my thoughts gradually crack. It's bitter.

I just wanted to live happily ever after with the people I love. But as I worry about all sorts of things, I end up suffering financial and time losses. Ultimately, it even hinders me from protecting the things I love. Yes, sadly, a weak heart becomes the culprit that causes unnecessary losses, and those losses affect the things I love.

It's not about living viciously. It's about becoming strong before becoming kind to protect the things I love. Only then can I truly live happily ever after.

Reality is that living with a kind heart doesn't always lead to beautiful things like in fairy tales. Protecting the things I love with a strong heart is the way to live even happier than in a fairy tale. Everyone's definition of when a kind heart became a weak heart will differ, but for me and the people around me to live happily ever after, we must avoid suffering losses due to kindness.

I guess I really want to become strong.I want to throw away this weak heart. I'm constantly worried. About those who are lagging behind, those who are isolated, those with sad expressions, those who are sick, anyone who might not understand this writing, and anyone who might be in a difficult situation and get hurt by me. I'm worried about all sorts of things. I thought it was a kind heart, but it's not. It's a weak heart. To protect the things I love, I should have become strong before becoming kind.

-Sojeong Yoon, Continuous