Sitting in the Fire

I was sunshine. Growing up, I have so many memories of ways people would be buoyed by my enthusiasm, comment on my smile, remark on my positivity. And I was also boxed in and blinded. There was so much I could be happy about. When I think about it, it isn’t that there wasn’t hardship. There were car accidents, fights, church splits, and death. But I was pretty unflappable. With hindsight, what I knew about the world and experienced was limited. I usually say I grew up with unconditional love in a box. And then, I began to question and to be confronted about my beliefs, my identity, my faith, my abilities, my personality, and my privilege. And I also began to love the search, the unwinding, the people I met who were not like me, and even – over time – what my own pain and suffering opened up […]