Dear precious sweet girl,
I’m here to tell you that I understand. That I know how you feel, and I know that it seems strange that someone would actually understand what you’re going through. But I do. A lot of us do, but a lot of us go around not talking about things, and that’s why we’re the strong ones, or at least that’s why we put on the face of being the strong ones.
I just want you to know that you don’t always have to put on the face of being brave and pretending that everything is OK. I want you to know that a moment of vulnerability doesn’t defeat your strength and your bravery and your being of who you are. Because as amazing as it is to be strong, it’s also pretty amazing to be vulnerable and to allow others into your world to help you.
Precious one, let me tell you that it’s OK to allow others to take care of you. It doesn’t make you any less strong. Allowing your world to open and abound by allowing people inside, doesn’t make you any less strong than you would be on your own. In fact, I would argue to say that by allowing others into your life, you are creating strength in new ways. You are allowing yourself space to learn and grow stronger in circumstances where you allow yourself to be vulnerable.
Precious one, would you allow yourself to put down some of your walls? Would you allow yourself to be present? To build relationships where you are celebrated, with people who make you feel better about the world after spending time with them? Would you allow yourself to submerge yourself in life, because you deserve to be fully present?
You don’t deserve to feel like you are any less than anyone else, and your strength shouldn't make you the odd one out. Would you allow yourself to take a deep breath? To put down your pen, and your BlackBerry and your iPhone? To close your computer for a minute, and just be? Would you allow your world to open up? Would you allow spontaneity into your perfectly planned life? Would you expand the realm of people who you let inside your life?
Would you seek out people who are different from you and bring them into your life? More than that, would you allow those relationships to be spaces where you learn and grow? Would you continue to have beautiful adventures, and would you continue to allow yourself to fall so madly and deeply in love with the world that you might fall too hard and you might end up broken? Would you allow yourself in those broken places to allow someone to pick you up? Would you allow someone to take care of you when you’re struggling through a cold or just feeling sad?
Strong girl, would you allow the world to be your playground? Allow yourself to eliminate the fear you have of this world, and release the fear you have of people hurting you? Would you allow yourself to know that your strength and tough exterior, or the walls built up in your heart have come from being beaten down before?
Precious one, I know that strength has come from being hurt, from being mistreated and broken. Would you allow yourself to let go of some of that strength? To take a deep breath and allow yourself to just be? To be present, to be loved, to be focused? Would you allow the you that you are right now to continue to grow and to develop? Would you allow yourself to not be afraid of changing, because sometimes change is good? Would you allow yourself to eliminate fear by facing fear in the face? Would you allow your world to grow and would you allow your world to be shaped by those around you for the very best?
Know that your strength doesn’t mean that it’s OK for those around you to take advantage of you, because they know at the end of the day, you’ll be OK. Sometimes being strong means letting people go, breaking the chains of an unhealthy relationship, rather than staying in it. Oh dear precious sweet strong, strong one, would you allow yourself to not always have to be so strong, because you don’t have to? Because the world is here to love and support you. Precious one, would you allow those around you into your world without pushing them away? My wish for you strong girl is that you’d try to be a little less strong, and that you’d allow that to feel OK.
