Thank you for your encouragement and how willingly you expressed how my writing was relevant to your life. I look forward to keeping in touch with you and hope you will continue to find confirmation in my words. I was going to title this post your name, but didn't know if you would be ok with that so I went with something I knew you would recognize. I hope you enjoy the oil and you continue to check in here for more "every-day real". Feel free to email me any time for anything at all.
You see, My Loves, everything happens not only for a reason, but for a good reason. I met a woman today who told me to my face how my words touched her. And although I receive your emails, hearing the words in person is a completely different ballpark. I can't express enough how much gratitude I have for you all traveling on this journey with me. I have had my highs and my lows, but you have all been a constant reminder that tomorrow is a new day and everything is connected. I will continue to move forward in the hopes that my words will touch someone out there and help them through whatever they're dealing with. Please continue sending your emails (don't forget to tell me if you want me to answer publicly or privately), and don't be shy if you want to leave a comment on a specific post. I love and appreciate you all. ~until next time
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So I had a conversation with someone during this past week that I had been looking to have for almost a year. There were apologies and a few giggles and a few tears. There was attempted understanding and openness. And at the end of it all, I really realized I didn't value myself enough. I realized I had put a limit on how much I deserved from someone I valued. I realized they didn't value me like I valued them and it was only my fault.
But... I also realized I contributed in more ways than I thought to the demise of our friendship. I learned I was as much an aggressor as I was a victim and I didn't even see it. I was looking for communication when I wasn't communicating. I was looking for a security blanket when I was on fire. It took almost a year for us to have a conversation and admit our mistakes. It took a year of wondering and worrying and anger and pain to come back to "I was wrong and I miss being your friend". For us, was it worth it? I don't know yet. We're only back at day one, but I'm hopeful. So when you, My Loves, are in a situation where maybe you could afford to take a moment to reflect, do so. Take an honest look at what happened and try to see things from the other person's point of view. There was no way I could've known the extent of my contribution to what looked like the end of our friendship if the other person wasn't open to communicating. But there was also no way they could've known my hurt if I wasn't open to communicating. Now that we've had a conversation, it feels like none of it mattered. It is what it is. Either we will work toward being friends again and will be successful, or we won't. I don't know the outcome. My only obligation as a human is to be open to forgive and learn and start anew. And don't mistake forgiveness for forgetfulness. I will not and should not forget what happened between us. Only two things can happen from forgetting: I will make the same mistake and hurt myself or both of us OR I will not retain the lesson I learned about looking at myself in the mirror and I will end up hurting someone else I care about. What I will not do is forget. But I have an obligation to myself and to the Universe to forgive. I am required to accept an apology and attempt to move forward, however that looks. I am not required to open myself back up to attempting to rebuild the friendship we had, but I am required to accept the apology, let it go, and move on. I, personally, have decided to see how it goes and see if we can rebuild our friendship. I am that type of heart. But there is nothing right or wrong about my ability or desire to live my life that way. My type of heart is not right or wrong, it's just mine. So here I am, open again after so long. I have hope, though, that our friendship will be stronger because of what we went through. I have hope that this person will be front and center and cheering loudly on the day I marry the person I love. I have hope that I will do the same for them. I have hope that whatever paths we are meant to walk, we will walk in the same direction, if not together, and we will celebrate each other's wins and be there as a shoulder for each other's losses. I have hope that my old friend will be my friend again and we will move forward. I have hope for all of you, My Loves, in all aspects of your lives and your relationships. I wish you forgiveness and love. I wish you friendships and laughter. I wish us all happiness. ~until next time I've been feeling so off for a few weeks now. I feel like I've been falling apart... like I can't keep my feelings in check. It's like my logical mind has nothing to do with my initial reaction to anything anymore. I feel lonely. I feel unwanted. I feel like my voice doesn't matter. I feel like I've just been floating on auto-pilot through reality but none of it is really me. The worst part about it is I know none of this is rational. I know I'm not alone. I know I'm wanted. I know I matter and so does my voice. I know I'm important to some people. I know everything I'm feeling is temporary. But none of what I know makes it any easier to deal with.
I'm telling you all this because I want you to know it's normal to feel like you've lost yourself sometimes. It's normal to not know where to go or what to do next. Most importantly, though, it's ok to ask for help to sort it all out. I've talked to my mother and brother about it all; and I'm going to try doing more things that make me happy. I'm going to do my best to branch out and start doing things I'm interested in, regardless of whether or not I have someone to do those things with. I have to start thinking about what my mental health looks like, and what things I can do to make myself happy. There's so much more I want to tell you, but I'd be telling someone else's story. I really wish I could say more.... Just know that you're helping me by just being here. Check back with me soon, please. I miss you all terribly, and I'm doing my best to come back to you full time, with full force. Also, I've been getting your emails. Thank you for the love and support. I can't tell you how much I truly appreciate your words. I've responded to some of you already, and I'll be responding to the ones I haven't very soon. I apologize for the wait - as you can see, I haven't been feeling myself lately. Well, my loves, I'm going to get going for now. I'll be back again soon. I must continue working on me (and my sanity). And never forget: it's ok to not be ok. You don't have to pretend, and you are allowed to ask for help. ~until next time |