They are slowly shedding the layers
They put on during the spring and summer months
Some have their colorful garb on
But some branches are naked
Vulnerable
Unable to hide
Unable to pretend
They feel a little shy
On plain view for all to see
And yet, after a while
They start to enjoy their newfound freedom
Freedom from layers of pretense
They feel lighter, more genuine
Vulnerability and freedom to be oneself
Go hand in hand
October 14th, 2019
The more similar we are on the outside
To who we are inside
The freer we will feel
The masks we sometimes wear
Get heavy
And we may feel like we are dragging
Our feet
The problem is that we can get so used to
The masks we wear
That we can forget who we are underneath
I’m learning to throw away the mask of pretense
I feel lighter
More authentic
I won’t be afraid of showing my truth
The real me
Those who love me will stay anyway
Pretending takes a lot of energy
It’s tiring
It’s stressful
I understand why people wear a masks
Because I have worn them
But I also know how refreshing it feels
To feel the wind on my face
April 6th, 2016
We are raised to be independent
To accomplish things on our own
To stand on our own two feet
And that’s fine
But sometimes in the process
We forget that we still need
The love and support of friends
We forget that we need to be held
To be caressed
We need a shoulder to lean on
We need trusted friends we can confide in
We need to ask for help from time to time
That others aren’t so busy with their own lives
That they don’t have time for us!
That we are not a burden
When we reach out for a helping hand!
We forget how interdependent we are
We forget the value of true friendship
Sharing our thoughts and concerns with friends
Letting them hold us up for a while
Till we are strong again!
There is no shame in sadness
It’s not possible to be ‘up’ all the time
We don’t have to pretend to smile
If we are crying inside!
These are the things I had to learn
I had to learn not to be afraid to share my vulnerabilities
That moments of crisis come upon us all
And it’s during these moments
That our friends can be life boats
Rescuing us from turbulent sea of life
And I’ve learned that when I share
The stories of my trials
Others trust me enough to share theirs
And it’s this sharing that strengthens
The bonds of friendship
I’ve learned that to build genuine friendships
I need to be more genuine myself
To let the pretense of perfection drop
To share my sadness as well as my happiness
To reach out in times of trouble
To trust!
Lida Berghuis
March 28th, 2013
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