YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin
Postings on this site are NOT by mental health professionals, rather the opinions & experiences of a community of regular people. If you feel like you are going to hurt yourself or others PLEASE call Suicide Prevention at 1-800-273-8255
Thank you Heather!! Sorry for the delayed response.
I love that you picked that out. It’s a hard thing to remember, sometimes. That brokenness is just another story.
Growing up is accepting we can’t save everyone.
Especially those we love.
Especially from themselves.
It’s learning everything we thought we knew, was wrong; and sometimes what we thought was wrong is right.
It’s cutting anchors loose on friendships and realizing some storms are universal.
And they cannot be exempted, or bartered for, or prayed, or wished away.
It’s slowly wiping at the layers of dust and expectation that coat our parents and while we will see them, worn and frayed and missing parts as they are.
We will finally see them.
And they will shine for it.
It’s finding out love and heartbreak aren’t mutually exclusive, and indeed, if we are doing it right and true, they will be married to each other all our lives.
It’s going deep into the darkest heart of the woods where only the gremlins, and ghosts, and ghouls live, feeding on our lost little self, and showing them the way back home.
Growing up is like a flower. Beautiful, awkwardly unfolding.
It blooms because it must.
Because it can.
Because it knows it is bound to fall.
Come back.
Bloom again.
It’s going deep into the darkest heart of the woods where only the gremlins, and ghosts, and ghouls live, feeding on our lost little self
the way they lose they power when our adult self shows up, stronger and wiser, and willing to look them in the eye
(I had a great therapy session today)
Hugs and thanks Nadidays for articulating my pain in such a moving way!
Heather