Be Present – Be Here

This is perhaps the greatest challenge of the abused child. At a young age, we learn to survive by not being present – by going away somewhere else. And yet, perhaps we are more truly present than others. Able to step out of the flow of “how are you? I’m fine”, we live in a quieter, deeper place of “who are you really?”. We know that appearances are just that – appearances – and what matters is who you are behind closed doors. We know that it is our secrets that drive us and not our possessions or status. We know that we can survive the dark night and that morning arrives with new light and even sometimes, with hope. Being alone does not terrify us but, rather, it is our center. We know that everything can change in the blink of an eye and learn, very young, to live the moment. We know that people may not be who they seem – who they want others to think they are – so we look beneath the surface. We know that if you don’t deal with and heal your pain, it will devour you and reach out to destroy others. The shadow world welcomes us and holds us dear – that in-between realm where reality pauses and what is truly real, truly of value, is birthed. We rarely ask, “how are you” – because what we really want to know is “where are you most whole?” or “what places within you need tending?” We are not always good friends and yet we are the best of friends. We are the wounded of this world – we have filled our broken places with molten gold. We are called to live a life of contemplation, of diving deep for that which has been hidden for generations. We have been called to answer “who are you really?” We are many, may you be blessed to know us.