Some people come into our life as a blessing, while others come

“Some people come into our life as a blessing, while others come into our life as a lesson, so love them for who they are instead of judging them for who they are not.” Thus spoke Yolanda Hadid, whose words, though born in the modern world, echo with the wisdom of the ancients. Within this saying lies the tender and eternal truth of human connection — that every soul we meet carries purpose, whether to bring us joy or to bring us growth. Some arrive like the gentle rain, nurturing what is already good within us. Others come like the storm, shaking the branches of our spirit until the fruit of wisdom falls. But both — the blessing and the lesson — are gifts from life itself, worthy not of bitterness, but of love.

To understand her teaching, we must first recognize the sacred pattern of relationships that weave the tapestry of existence. No meeting is accidental, no encounter meaningless. Each person who crosses our path — whether they bring delight or pain — reveals something about who we are, who we have been, or who we must become. Those who bless us teach gratitude; those who wound us teach resilience. The blessings open our hearts, the lessons strengthen them. When we judge others only by what they fail to be, we miss the divine intention behind their presence in our journey. Yolanda’s wisdom calls us to a higher love — one that embraces imperfection as part of the sacred design of life.

The ancients, too, understood this. The philosopher Epictetus taught that we should not seek to control events or people, but rather to master our responses to them. “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters,” he said. In this way, every person becomes a teacher — whether by kindness or cruelty, they reveal the quality of our own heart. Likewise, the Buddha spoke of enemies as spiritual instructors, for they teach patience, compassion, and detachment. The one who can love both friend and foe has transcended the narrowness of judgment and entered the vastness of wisdom.

History gives us many examples of souls who learned this truth. Consider Nelson Mandela, who spent twenty-seven years imprisoned by those who feared his freedom. When he emerged, he did not speak with hatred, but with love and forgiveness. He said, “As I walked out the door toward my freedom, I knew that if I did not leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” Mandela had learned that even his oppressors had been his lessons — that they had tested the strength of his spirit and refined the purity of his love for mankind. His life became proof that to see others not through judgment, but through compassion, is the path to true liberation.

Yolanda’s words also remind us that to love others for who they are is to release the illusion of control. We are often tempted to shape others in our image, to demand that they think as we think, love as we love, live as we live. But the wise know that every soul walks its own sacred path. To love someone truly is to honor that path, even when it diverges from ours. To judge another for who they are not is to blind ourselves to the beauty of who they are. Acceptance is not surrender — it is the recognition that all are fragments of the same divine light, shining through different windows.

And yet, this teaching is not one of passivity, but of strength. To love without judgment does not mean to allow harm or to remain in suffering. It means to see clearly — to recognize what each person brings into our life and to bless them for it, even as we step away if needed. The lesson may be painful, but when received with humility, it transforms the soul. A heart that can thank both the friend and the betrayer is a heart that has tasted freedom. For in truth, no experience is wasted, and no encounter is without purpose when viewed through the eyes of love.

So, my child, take this teaching to heart. When someone enters your life, ask not, “Are they perfect?” but rather, “What do they bring into my soul’s unfolding?” If they bring you peace, cherish them. If they bring you challenge, learn from them. And when their part in your story ends, release them with gratitude, not resentment. In this way, your heart will grow both wise and light, free from the chains of judgment and regret.

For in the end, life is not measured by how others treat us, but by how we choose to respond. Blessings and lessons — both are the instruments of love shaping us into who we are meant to be. So live with compassion, walk with understanding, and love others not for what they give or withhold, but for what they awaken within you. Then you will have learned the secret Yolanda Hadid speaks of — that the purpose of every encounter is not perfection, but growth, and that all who come into your life, whether gentle or harsh, are divine messengers in disguise.