products of disarray

All to often it seems, we get so caught up in our own little worlds, that we barely notice others are existing around us. We are all guilty of it - myself included.

Recently, I had my eyes opened when I shared a conversation with an acquaintance. See, after you share those dark moments of the past with someone, you cease to be acquaintances. Once you let down your defenses, you are visible for what you really are. The problem that this creates is that we are so guarded of our fragile hearts, we run at the slightest offering of someone who wants to know us.

I remember sitting on my best friend's porch in high school and talking until it was well past time for me to be home. Despite the mild lashing I received for being out past curfew, those conversations were where we became friends. You tend to be more honest in one-on-one conversation with someone who is aiding you in getting into trouble.

The conversation with a former acquaintance was eye-opening as we shared the details of our respective upbringings. While they were different, each tale seemed to have a way of helping us see how our childhoods had shaped us. And for the good that the pain brought. For it truly seems that what we call disarray has a funny way of preparing us for the future. The past is an inadvertent teacher.

I've had some moments in life (which I will share in some later posts) that have ripped my heart from my chest, but years later that painful memory prepared me for the onslaught that is growing up. Also, I've had some strenuous friendships and relationships that I would not take back for the life of me.

I suppose the purpose of this post is to encourage communication and experience. Don't hide from sharing parts of your heart. This life is too short to hide from who we really are. After all, when you let your guard down, you really are quite beautiful. Don't ever forget that.