The most beautiful people in the world are authentic. People can call them names – like hipster or hippie or geek – but does that all really define them? What do those words even mean?

People are so much more complicated than how they are defined. They are more than the categories they are boxed into. They are complex, with so many different interests, so many different perspectives, so many feelings.

We have a way of trying to hard to not be vulnerable. We strive not to show weakness, scared that we are going to be judged for what we do. But what for? What are all these fears for?

The beauty of any person comes down to their vulnerabilities; it’s what makes them human! To be broken is to be whole.

We connect with each other because we have those vulnerabilities. We connect because we really do need each other. We connect because there is more to us than a list of traits and descriptors.

I feel overwhelmed all the time by the people I meet. While they are often broken, hurting or struggling with life, they still are authentically themselves – like a thousand butterflies flying across a field of flowers on a warm summer’s day.

I struggle all the time with people because of anxiety. But my anxiety is a part of me too. It’s a result of my past, and I only hope that it will diminish due to my future.

Thank you for being authentic. Thank you for not becoming a plastic person. Thank you for showing me what it means to be human.