I wasn’t quite expecting the response that I received on my last post… it seems to have resonated with a lot of people. One of the largest responses ever for this little account. Growing up I was not one to openly share a lot of my emotions. I had some painful, hard experiences, and never felt like there was a safe or open space for me to share them. So I tucked those down deep, dealt with it, and (poorly) masked myself most of the time. Somewhere along the line, in college, I decided I didn’t want to/couldn’t deny myself to accommodate others, anymore. I never wanted to be disrespectful or a jerk about it; just rectify the fact that some of my most painful memories exist around moments when I didn’t step up for myself and say, “Hey, that hurts me.”
Part of the pain of covid is being physically alone and feeling alone in other ways, as well. Many of you stepped up yesterday to offer love and compassion and to say “I see you,” or even “me, too.” That meant a lot to me and made me feel more hope, more courage to keep going, and a whole lot less alone. I hope you felt that way, too. And for those who showed humility & compassion by just respectfully listening, that was also a gift and I noticed. It was a good reminder that even in highly emotional experiences, when the pain and fear and other emotions are very real & valid, listening to each other and doing our best to do the right thing & to do our part to meet in the middle is the most successful path to peace. That’s the real work.
