Feedback from a Friend

Good Morning,

I realized this morning that a friend of mine, amazing artist, incredible human, and so-so author (I kid you my friend) Tom left feedback on the post "Deeper in the Woods" and I had yet to fully read it.  It was a little voice in my head that reminded me that I needed to read his thoughts.  Tom inspires me through his art and written word, but so much more by his gentle belief that only through care and love can we reach our true happy place.  

What I read humbled me right down to my socks.  The beautiful thing about our friendship is that we have often known what each other needed to hear without even knowing whats going on.  It's like a 6th sense.  His entire feedback is publish beneath the "Deeper in the Woods" entry, but I wanted to share a small piece of it:

What can I say, Tom...my God, these are challenging times for you! I don't really know what to say except that your words here - so powerfully authentic, even gut-wrenching, (because they are so real, human and love inspired) are helpful and healing to all who read them. Not even so much because of what you are sharing...as much as the fact that you want and need to share your deepest, most challenging, real life (in one way or another common to all of us) experiences at this time. The love reflected in your words is so obviously, and again - inspirationally rooted in your heart.

Those words reminded me of why I started this blog in the first place.  There are people, so many people, who are living as caregivers to children, siblings, parents, who are screaming my thoughts and words in their heads but cannot find the way to let them out.  Afraid to allow their most desperate, hopeful, or dark thoughts to see the light of day because of how others may react.  Or worse yet, upon hearing their own words, to have to come to grips with what they have said.

Writing from the most raw and unfiltered of places has its own risks.  Words typed through layers of emotion are not agreeable to everyone who may not understand those emotions.  Those who have never walked this journey may not grasp how a person might respond to things that happen around them.  But if I'm really, really lucky, someone will see a post and that will be the message that they needed to read at that moment of their life.  

On Sunday, Pastor John said something that resonated very strongly with me.  He said that when feeling grief it is necessary to allow yourself to really feel the emotions and express them as a means to process them and understand them.  If you have read my blog for any length of time you have heard those words come from me as well.  Our emotions and ability to express them is a true gift.  That gift isn't reserved for only thoughts of daisies and puppies (although I like puppies a lot) but for thoughts of desperation, frustration, and pain. These thoughts are also gifts that teach us things about ourselves and the world around us. 

I want to thank Tom for reminding me that life around us is hard, and sometimes downright impossible, but being true to one's authentic self is where we find the light to continue on.

Be well and God bless.   Tom