Hey Strong Friend, I See You

0

I see you. You cannot hide. I see you so clearly because we both have so much in common. We are independent women. We are stoic. We are strong friends.

Dearest strong friend, it’s ok to hurt. It’s ok to cry. It’s ok to cave. We are not perfectly balanced like we try to portray. We are messy. We are human. Life is not perfect. I want you to know you are not alone. You, in fact, are surrounded by so much love. Love from those you know and those you have never met. Strong friends everywhere unite, whether or not they know it. 

Dearest strong friend, it’s ok to ask for help. To say enough is enough and take a step back. You cannot survive hanging on a thread. Take time for you. Talk to someone. It is not looked down upon; it should be a requirement to be human. 

Dearest strong friend, I too am surrounded by a plethora of people, and yet feel lonely. I have 1k ‘friends’ on Facebook, 600 Instagram followers, a strong support system at church, and a booming business. Yet, I feel lonely. I need my people. I need my alone time. Can I just have both? At the same time? I know you feel the same. I see how you struggle to balance both of these as well. It’s ok. We are ok. 

Dearest strong friend, I know your marriage is not perfect. It’s not sit down to dinner by 5 with cuddle time at 6:30. I can see right through you. It’s a daily challenge. A daily balance. A daily effort. It’s not unicorns and popscicles, and it makes you eye roll and vomit when you watch the social media portrayal of friends and their relationship as such. Because you know the truth. I know the truth. We both think, “Come to Jesus people – take the mask off and be real,” but then we get caught up in it anyway.

Dearest strong friend, it’s ok to change your mind about what you want to be when you grow up at the ripe old age of mid-thirties. I am feeling that, too. I have so many pursuits and dream. I also sometimes just want to sit and be. It’s ok to act like we really don’t know what the heck we are doing. Life is an unopened book every single day. I, too ,feel like I open it sometimes to blank pages.

Dearest strong friend, you are beautiful. You put on the persona of total confidence. The whole package. I see how you doubt your beauty. I see how you doubt your pant size and what you are eating. You are obsessed with the outside. How things fit, how people perceive, how unhealthy that piece of pizza was. I am like you. I get out of control. We are beautiful though. We are sensational from the inside out. We must remember this. We must live this.

Dearest strong friend, I know you are weak. It’s ok. We are weak on our own, but strong with our God. I, too, doubt my own faith many days. Doubt the guidance of my savior. We must cling to him. To our families. To our kids. To our life. 

Hey strong friend, I see you, and I know you. I am just like you.