Be the person you needed. Those words have echoed in my mind

since my time immemorial. I know not who or what imparted this

tiny gem into my brain. At different times, I needed different people;

an advisor, a teacher passionate about his work, a host, a listening ear

free of judgment, a companion, a push out the door, a kind word. 

That deep-rooted phrase shapes my being; my past, present, and future. 

For better or worse, I try to be all I needed. Because I know that one day

I will find someone who needed what I did, and their future will be made

a brighter place. All because I was who I needed.