It sucks to have a big heart, because you hate giving up on people. You hand out second chances like candy. Even if someone screws you over countless times, you still have hope that they will change. You keep your faith in them, even when it should be long gone.

It sucks to have a big heart, because you feel guilt over every little thing. You feel bad about yelling at someone, even if they deserve to be put in their place. You feel bad about walking away from someone, even if they were the one to push you away.

People treat you like crap all the time, but the second you decide to stand up for yourself, you feel bad about hurting their feelings. You hate the thought of upsetting anyone.

It sucks to have a big heart, because you never have a moment to spare. You say yes to every question you are asked. You stay late at work when your boss needs you. You run over the second your parents call for you. And you pick your friends up when they’re too drunk to drive and too cheap to pay for an Uber.

You never have the chance to sit back and relax, because you’re selfless. You’re always busy doing something for someone else.

It sucks to have a big heart, because you never get the chance to deal with your own problems. Your friends always come to you for advice and you put their needs first. You help them sort through their issues and never mention that you’ve been struggling, too.

You don’t want to make the conversation all about you. You don’t want to take away from their pain by mentioning your own. You try to act like the strong one in order to be a good friend.

It sucks to have a big heart, because you hold back from saying what you really feel. As much as you want to curse out that bitch who stole your parking spot, you pause to think about how she might be dealing with a death or a divorce.

You make excuses for everyone’s actions because you want to see the best in people. You want to believe that the world is an okay place.

It sucks to have a big heart, because you get stressed over things that aren’t really any of your business. You worry about how your friend is doing after her breakup. You worry about how your mom is doing living in her house all alone.

You care so much about other people that it causes unnecessary stress in your life. It makes it so you’re always worried about something, even if that something has nothing to do with you.

Sometimes, it sucks to have a big heart. But that big heart is the reason why you have such close friends and such strong morals.

It’s the reason why everybody loves you, why they can’t imagine life without you. 

Holly Riordan is the author of Lifeless Souls, available here.