From one of my favorite authors, Melody Beattie:
“Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable.”
I want to add: …and don’t shut out or try to stop these feelings, for if we never venture into the depths of these weaknesses, we will never know true strength.
Another favorite author of mine, Mark Nepo, writes:
The above “defines weakness as any habit of our mind that prevents us from seeing things exactly as they are or in their entirety, or with our entire capacity to feel. These are the blindness that keeps us from oneness, truth, and compassion.
We are all frail. We all make mistakes. We all fall prey to a thousand emotions or exaggerations. But these things make us rich, not weak, if we are willing to face them squarely. In truth, it is not the tissue of our humanity that defeats us, but rather our refusal to accept who we are, and live accordingly, limitations included.
Underneath it all, this blindness, in it’s many recurring forms, is the cause of most cruelty. For it is during those moments, when we think we see things so clearly, that we break things that are irreplaceable, not even realizing they were so precious.
After breaking many things in my life, hearts, heirlooms, robin’s eggs – I am humbled to admit that the only difference I see here on Earth between being strong or weak is the honesty with which we face ourselves, accept ourselves, share ourselves, blemishes and all.”
This little story in my morning reading really hit home. I have been here, as I’m sure you have too. And if you haven’t yet in your young life, take this and keep it for when your turn comes, cause it inevitably will.
I have decided to face my weaknesses squarely, and accept myself, blemishes and all. This self love and acceptance is a wonderful thing, but there is something else even more wonderful. When you have people in your life that accept you and love you despite your blemishes, forgive you for your mistakes, and trust always your intentions were never to hurt when you have an altercation. To have people in your life where this acceptance is mutual, never questioned, even through the worst of storms – ahh this, this is the crux of PERMANENT relationships. These permanent relationships are where you live, where you get your energy, where you get to love and be loved in return, without question.
But of course, there is a price to have permanent relationships in your life. You must be able to argue, disagree, hurt each other from time to time, but always come back to forgiving and letting the storms your relationship will weather, bring you closer, not destroy you.
If you are able to let NOTHING crack the trust, you have found strength in it’s finest and every relationship you ever have will be richer and add to your life.
And so, as another day goes by, I give thanks for the permanent relationships in my life and for my ability to accept myself, as well as those I love, blemishes and all, and….I have written.
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