The Strong One                                                                                  May 2010

Throughout my life to this point, I always thought of myself as the person that other people could come to in times of crisis. I'm good under pressure. I would know what to do. I would listen. If there was a situation where things needed to get handled, I was your go-to gal. I was "the rock".

There is a problem with that kind of defining role, however, as what happens when you are the one who needs help? I have had extraordinarily high highs, and crushingly low lows. In my down times, I would hide out and not want to burden anyone. I considered myself weak and pathetic for not being able to "cope" better. My internal dialogue was brutal and unkind. I thought that being down is simply incongruent with the face and attitude I bring to the world, and why would I subject anyone to that? But it's also not real. And it doesn't allow others to contribute, which is a rather depleting way of going through life.

What's interesting now, as I'm going through "a perfect storm" of new life challenges, is that I recognize strength in the willingness to be honest, raw and vulnerable - and in having the courage to ask for help. We are all only human, after all, and ebb and flow is just the natural rhythm of life. And there is always much to be learned from rising after we fall.

My family and support network have been tremendous, and I'm always surprised by how willing people are in coming forward to share their own struggles and how they have come through them. To have safety in straightforward communication without judgment is a beautiful thing.

The one thing I know for sure? We are all just trying to do our very best. And no matter how bad things get, just hang on! There is always some kind of transformation in store on the other side!

I finish this note off with an uplifting quote from a dear friend:

Cheers and Heartfelt Thanks,