ꨄ︎ㅤ

careful what
 you wish for— 

grit is met
 with resistance,

kindness
 with exposure,

growth
 with repetition,

strength
 with responsibility,

& faith
with the loss
 of certainty.

commentary

inspired by the old saying “be careful what you wish for,” this poem reflects on the gap between what we ask for, and what actually shows up. rather than handing us virtues outright, life offers experiences that shape them. each wish is met with circumstances, and over time, those encounters build the qualities we admire.

stanza by stanza:

• grit from resistance. resilience is taught; shaped by friction, instability, and the need to consistently adapt to new grounds.
• kindness from exposure. compassion emerges from encountering human messiness—pain, cruelty, and complexity, often in others and sometimes in ourselves—and continuously choosing to have empathy. through exposure, soft or untested compassion is replaced by something deeper than plain naïveté or polite sentiment.
• growth from repetition. growth appears in return, rather than ascent. we find growth in the lessons that repeat until they're finally understood or outgrown.
• strength from responsibility. strength is formed through the endurance of carrying weight for ourselves and others. 
• faith from the loss of certainty. faith grows through vulnerability. to ask for it is to accept this exposure in order to truely trust ourselves, others, and what's unknown. 
  

the caution is not that wishing is dangerous, but that they carry costs. the poem is intentionally simple, ending at a tone that is ultimately grateful and resolute. ꨄ︎