I see you.
On the surface, you look like everyone else. You blend in. Your appearance and persona is nothing unusual. Not for you. No one would ever know your story because you keep it to yourself. It is none of their business, after all, and they wouldn’t understand anyway.
But there is pain underneath that appearance. Discomfort. Uncertainty. Just enough of the emotion seeps through that I can see it. I see it in your eyes. I see it in the way you hold your body. Something is not right.
I’ve been there.
I hear you.
You reach out privately because you know there will be an ear. You hope there will be understanding. A light in the sea of darkness. A glimmer of clarity where there seems to be a never-ending swirl of confusion.
Though it is hard, I listen. I listen because others did when I needed an ear. I recognize the pain, the denial, the uncertainty and fear.
I’ve been there.
I feel you.
Your words penetrate me. I feel them in every bone of my body. My chest hurts, and my eyes burn. I re-live my own past experiences. I feel angry and sad. I know. And I can’t do a thing about it but listen and absorb.
I share my experience and though our stories are different, we are the same at that very moment. We are one. I may be farther along, but don’t let that fool you. It is easy to fall back into that hole.
I’ve been there.
We’ve all been there. As mothers, as daughters, as wives, as women. The drive to make good and keep peace can be our downfall.
But keeping the peace isn’t always the answer. It can numb us when we really need to feel. If we wait too long our hurt hits us like a ton of bricks. We become angry. And that is when change needs to occur.
The problem is that change is hard and scary and there is no guarantee what the future will hold. So you must let go and trust that you are strong enough to make the change and heal the pain.
It’s a process. One that is unique to everyone who is brave enough to go through it. Like a roller coaster ride, it is fraught with emotion. There are dips and turns and periods of anxiety and fear of what is coming next. The exhilaration and satisfaction at the end, however, is worth the ride.
We owe it to ourselves, to our children, to make that change. Whatever it is.
I see you.
You are not alone.
Does this post resonate with you?
This is an original post written by Jennifer Iacovelli for World Moms Blog.
Brilliant post. Not only does it resonate with me, but I’m sure that everyone else who is living with an “Invisible Illness” totally relates. Thank you. <3
My pleasure, Simona. It warms my heart that this post resonates with others.
Beautiful Jenn … glad we have had eachother’s backs along this journey … your support bolsters my spirit, your kindness touches my heart, your humor – well, that inside track is a blessing xxx
That inside track keeps us sane, doesn’t it? Now to plan our getaway cruise…
Beautifully written Jennifer. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your heart with all of us Moms and women out in the world. I am so glad to be a part of this amazing community I love.
Thank you, Tes! I am so happy to be a part of this wonderful community as well!
I see you, I hear you and I feel you too Jennifer! It’s always refreshing to read such beautiful and heartfelt words from all the fabulous mothers here, there and everywhere….we are indeed one!
Sometimes we get so caught up in our lives and our own worlds that we forget to really see others. Empathy is such a powerful sentiment and it can really lift another up. Thank you for this, Jennifer!