Let down.

Everyone has been let down. We let the people we love down. They let us down. Institutions let us down: Schools let us down. The government lets us down. The people we trust most let us down. Some people have been let down their entire life. There isn't much we can do about it, as failure is in our nature; regardless of how hard one tries not to fail themselves or others.

Humans do, however, have an innate ability that has the power to override the pain of being failed: we are able to love. Love, as clichéd as it sounds, has the ability to heal some really deep wounds. And if we can't help but fail the ones we love, then at least we have the resources within ourselves to fill the hole that failure leaves. I have seen people who have been failed time and time again and although I cannot remove the burden of the damage that has been done, I can ensure that the person knows they are loved, cared for, valued and cherished. It may not make everything better again, but it might help them keep their heads above water, which is really important.