We're All Human Poem by Gary Bernard

To those we've loved, and those disfavored too,
To those we barely knew who crossed our path,
To ones who came and went, to those who stayed,
Wishing they'd left to kin that we have lost.

To friends we've lost, and colleagues known briefly,
To celebrities we thought as friends,
To those who're present but emotionally withdrawn,
To those still with us but who're mentally gone.

To friends who've gone before us, we now toast,
For all the lessons learned, for mem'ries made,
For all the joy we've shared, for pain survived,
For moments fleeting, impacts lasting long.

We recognize you all, in tapestry
Of lives you've played your parts, both big and small,
Be loved or loathed, each thread contributes whole.
We raise our glasses to connections formed.

To souls that touched us, hearts remembered still,
Here's to all of you who made us who we are,
With gratitude, we toast you now again.
In each embrace, we see our common thread.

The fleeting smiles, the glances shared in haste,
The words exchanged in care, all intertwined
Within the story of our lives. To strangers
Turned to friends, and friends now gone.

To moments that did matter, those that slipped,
We now embrace you all. To be human's tough,
We're prone to envy, jealousies, and hate,
And often in such times we lose our way.

Our humanity, respect for others lost,
Yet in this life, we do acknowledge you,
In mem'ry we do celebrate your life.
With every step, we carry piece of you.

In hearts, in minds, in fabric of our being,
So, here's to all we've met, whose paths crossed ours,
We raise our glasses high to all complex
Connections, both the good and bad we've known,
Enduring the journeys we've all made.