I get frustrated because of all the shame. It seems you may not have experienced that as much. You were able to walk on your own, make your mistakes, and learn from it. I learned absolute truth, and learned it early. I had to learn to walk a straight line, and face dire consequences if I left it.

Wanna know why I get frustrated? Because sometimes I feel like I’ve been stretched tighter than a rubber band. I’ve lived in fear, and never felt the edges. I felt trapped in the middle with fear on every side.

But I’m older now, and I started walking a bit. I started walking to the edges, just to feel alive. I started leaving the middle, just to escape the numbness. I’m waking up. I don’t wanna live in fear.

How do I deconstruct this thing, without throwing the whole thing away? How do I make a change without losing everything?

Truths I Know:

• No one has it all figured out.

• We are all human. We all make mistakes.

• Everyone at some point experiences hardship, confusion, anger, loneliness, etc.

• I have a choice everyday to practice forgiveness, empathy, and grace, or live with bitterness and resentment.

• Thankfulness is a choice.

• Life rarely goes the exact way we plan.

• You cannot go backwards. It’s not even worth our time.

• ‘Good’ things can come from what look like ‘bad’ situations.

• The next breath is never guaranteed.

• Life is a blessing.