come unfolded, straight lines turned curvy

I like to think that layers of my core can be seen and felt without prompting by those who wish to partake in my energy. Because that says something to me about your energy too.

And I believe the amazing thing about secrets isn't in the keeping of them, it's in the truth of their reveal.






And reveal we shall ...









I am empathic. Retrace, re-read, re-learn. No, that doesn't say empathetic, it says empathic. See: Traits of an Empath

I don't think I have ever told anyone this, at least in those words. Rob knew I was before I ever had put a label to it. And much of my decision in not sharing this, I'm sure, has to do with my own lack of understanding of what my abilities were/are. But alas, here we are.

My sister and I joke about my "animal spirit", what I say translates into my ability to feel what not only other people but also animals (and living things such as plants) or even inanimate objects (such as buildings) are "feeling". This feeling is detected by various energies.

For a long time, dear friends, I have been unable to control or create boundaries with my ability to take on the deep (often times buried) emotions of others. Growing up, I was surrounded by people who experienced intense pain in their lives and as an empath, I was bombarded daily by these energies. Having my own personal traumas aside from these energies to deal with, led to a tumultuous couple of years (or a full decade, but who is counting).

Empathy is genetic, and my brother has it as well. He much more so than me. And while his own abilities developed, impeded his growth, and carried him further in ways different than my own, it is this that we share (even though we have never had the opportunity to speak about it with one another). But I suppose that's a journey for another day.

All of this to say, that with this ability (and through many of my life experiences), I have learned to see my life and its connectedness to others as a continual unfolding. An unfolding, a revealing, an opening of our core not only to others but to the parts of ourselves that have not yet accepted all of who we have become (or were since the beginning).

An acceptance of the true beauty of what we hold so close to our hearts, the most valuable parts of our being that we often times misunderstand how to protect. The parts of ourselves that WE have to love first.

So I encourage you (as I encourage myself daily) to take some time to nurture whatever you are keeping folded, shielded from the view of others. Nurture your core, accept your beauty (along with the beauty in the breakdown), and incorporate your gifts into the world around you.

Because as Kid Cudi coined (and my sister always reminds me), "...on the pursuit of happiness, everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold."



and even death brings light