As I open this blog, I find myself searching for how to begin. There are many things on my heart and mind, yet, which do I pick? I consider the aspects of life that provoke my mind, the people who touch my heart, and the actions and choices that inspire me to do and be more. Along that stream of thought, I am incited to share about a particular type of action that arouses my admiration and respect.
Within the last several years, I have had the honor of being on the listening end of various “storytimes,” as I like to call them. These storytimes are when another human being shares with me what is truly going on in their world. Without fluff or preamble, they carefully unwrap the messy package we call life. We each have our own package or story. Each story is unique, beautiful, and epic in its own way. Most often, we keep our stories wrapped in lovely paper, tied with an accent bow. We carry it around with us wherever we go. Some days, our paper is straight and tight with the bow perfectly done. Other days, the bow is tattered and the wrapping is barely holding together.
Storytime is when the wrapping comes off; little by little, the contents of the owner’s experience is revealed. Beneath the paper and bow, lies the unaltered truth. To tell one’s story, as it truly is underneath the wrapping, is to be vulnerable. Brené Brown, a renowned researcher and expert on vulnerability, writes, “Vulnerability is about showing up and being seen.” This choice, to show up and been seen, is a strength at which I marvel and aspire. The choice to reveal, to share, to be vulnerable, is to defy society and often even one’s own sense of judgment in order to choose self. In this sacred moment, to choose self is to acknowledge, honor, and accept one’s true self rather than to hold up the mask of the put together self that the world demands.
In a culture that tells me that I can handle anything, to pull myself up by my bootstraps, to “just deal with it,” or that I “should be over it by now,” it takes all the humility and courage I can muster to not avoid or cover up the messy parts of my story. If I share the whole story, I will reveal imperfection and needs that somewhere along the line, I was told I should not have. Yet, to be human is to need. We all need connection, love, and a sense of belonging. It is this process of engaging and sharing self that I find precious and inspiring. It is a beautiful, and often painful, part of being human. But oh so rewarding and fulfilling! It is a gateway to true life. It is the choice to live, to engage, to transform.