Each week Gypsy Mama chooses a word to write about for five minutes. No editing, stream of consciousness. Today's word is: Bare.
Ready. Set. Write.
Nobody likes to be vulnerable. The word bare brings to mine two visuals - a physical bareness and an emotional bareness. Neither one can be comfortable at times. Many a woman loathes swimsuit season after the multiple candy-filled holidays leading up to it, but we press through and enjoy the sun-filled days, even if we don't like the look of us in that hot pink one-piece.
We keep ourselves guarded emotionally because of the past hurts and wounds we have from a time when we laid ourselves bare to another and suffered the pain. Yet, the irony is to be able to connect again with an individual requires us to lay bare before them and be willing to open our heart and soul. That is almost as scary as swimsuit season.
One of my good friends, Letha, just spent most of 2012 battling breast cancer. From a double mastectomy, plastic surgery, gall bladder surgery and aggressive chemo, she is starting 2013 with the same amazing attitude she had all last year - she is a survivor. Now that the worst is behind her, she presses forward to strengthen her body and get back to a new normal. Recently she posted a picture of herself on Facebook...without her wig...stating "Bald is beautiful." She laid herself bare. She did what many women couldn't do - not only in her journey of breast cancer - but being willing to bare herself, both physically and emotionally, in order to encourage another that may one day be in her shoes.
Her testimony completely challenges me. And reminds me that I have a Savior who laid Himself bare on a cross to die for me.
3 comments:
Stopping by from FMF. Thank you for sharing!!!
Hi there, I'm stopping in from the FMF link up.
It is true. We need to be able to bare some of ourselves in order to connect. And your friend Letha, wow. She inspires even myself, simply reading this little snippet. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and words. :)
I am applauding your friend! One of my friends is going through chemo right now, and she was just commenting about how she is going to handle the hair loss. You are blessed to have each other. (Stopping by from FMF)
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