I’m going to struggle to find the words. I know I am. The words to describe the warmth I feel right now. The words to describe that despite still feeling dark in places, the light is beginning to find its way through. The words to describe what it feels like to find a group of women who have enveloped me, hugged me so hard that indeed it seems my broken bits are being mended back together. The words to describe having hope, and the strength to work toward, a future full of life, love and living.
But I am going to try.
After 8 or so years of being clinically depressed and having gone through a number of psychologists, I had given up hope of ever finding light with any regularity in my life. I had simply resigned myself to a life of existence. No living.
My sister, God bless her, suggested I try an art therapist. I baulked at the idea. I am no artist. But she encouraged me, saying it wasn’t about the art, it was about being creative and the toxicity that gets released through that creative process. I took her advice.
After a few sessions it became evident that I love, well live, to write but fear with a capital F had stopped me from ever letting anyone see my work, bar a couple of blogs that I never told anyone about.
She suggested a blogging course, where I would be ‘published’ through a guided, supportive environment, with very little risk to my self esteem. I chose the Blog with Pip course at her suggestion.
I enrolled on this course with trepidation. I had no niche, no craft, no particular skill. Immediately I didn’t feel like I fit in. But I persevered. I started off with this blog, realised it didn’t fit me and so started Sarah’s Heart Writes. Without realising it at the time, I just kept showing up. I re-evaluated and adjusted, and I just kept going.
However, my lack of belonging dogged me. I wanted to belong so much, to be part of a tribe. All across cyberland, you will find tribes. It is the beauty of it. No matter what you are into there will be someone out there who is into the same thing too. And no doubt a few others too.
You know that here I write about my life mostly battling depression, recovering from alcoholism, being bald, being a grandmother, parenting a child on the autistic spectrum. I couldn’t narrow it down. I am a whole person and so I write about the whole of me {and please, dear friend, you do the same}. My tribe seemed impossible to find.
But without realising it, I was looking in the wrong places. Without realising it, I didn’t need to look at all. Without realising it, I needed to be found.
You see, I met a group of women who just seem to get me. They accept me for who I am. They don’t care that I am melancholic, prone to more bad days than good, am extremely overweight, live a pretty boring existence, struggle to see my own value in a world that seems to have no place for me. What they care about is that I show up as their friend as much as they are mine. This is because they value what I have to offer and they remind me constantly what it is that I do have to offer. This is such an incredible gift.
A gift that is in itself a lesson.
I was looking for someone just like me. Someone whom I could hold up to the light to say “Look, they are just like me and they made it, so can I.” What I didn’t consider is my uniqueness. By virtue of everything about me – my upbringing, my life experiences, my genetic make up – I am unique. As are you. I had never really come to grips with that. My uniqueness felt so isolating somehow. I needed a tribe.
But then I found this group of women, and they found me, and together, we expect nothing more of each other than to show up with our uniqueness. We celebrate our uniqueness with zest and love. We champion it like knights on steeds carrying banners for all the world to see. We are each individual colours of a rainbow, coming together to encourage each other to shine. Yes, I have found my tribe, but it is based on something completely different than I ever imagined my tribe would be. It is based on acceptance and love. Nothing more, nothing less. They don’t expect me to be something different. They expect me to be, well, me.
We need more of this in the world. We need more women championing each other, not tearing each other down. We need more women encouraging the uniqueness of others, celebrating them for it, not trying to pigeonhole them into something they are not. Mass media makes its living out of trying to get us to do just that, and we conform, doing their job for them, tearing others down.
Albert Einstein apparently once famously said that if you try to get a fish to climb a tree, it will always feel stupid.
Don’t be a tree climbing fish. Be a unique colour of the rainbow. Own your truth and I promise you, your tribe will find you. I will find you.
Much love,
Now crying…xx so bloody beautiful..you are xxx
Oh Shani, thank you so much for your lovely friendship and support xx
Hello beautiful you. Your uniqueness is one of the very first things I loved about you. Your presence in your writing makes me feel less alone. Your vulnerability helps me to feel okay about showing mine. Keep shining Sarah. You are a beautiful creature. 🙂
Oh Rachel, you gorgeous person. Thank you so much for your continuous support. It is so very much appreciated. Much love xx
Oh gosh Sarah your words are just so beautiful. You’ve made me cry! This is exactly how I feel!! Love you xx
Love you too Deb. Thank you so much xx
Yup, you HAVE found your tribe and it wouldn’t be a complete tribe without you. Imagine a rainbow with an empty space somewhere – no color – we can’t have that, can we? Our rainbow is complete with your multi-faceted colors complimenting it. You have a beautiful way of expressing yourself Sarah. Words are your palette. : )
Thanks Joan and thank you for your lovely comment. xx
Loved reading your ” from the heart” writing so beautifully said
Thank you Jenny xx
Sarah, this really spoke to some things I’ve been feeling but unable to express. Actually I am going to bookmark so I can re read it. Thank you for sharing. Now I am sitting with my morning cuppa, feeling grateful that I did blog with pip too and celebrating my uniqueness.just a beautiful post!!!
Thanks for stopping by Emily and thank you for your lovely comments xx
Another wonderful thought provoking post Sarah.
Thank you Michelle xx