Things Learned

Today I sat in a room of people much older than myself, from many backgrounds, from many walks of life, but all there for the same purpose. Today, I was interviewed by a top school of social work. As we went around the table, answering questions, asking questions, telling the little truths of our lives… something struck me...

We weren’t at this table because of the academic rigours of our undergraduate programs, nor how many stars we had on our resumes. We weren’t there because our names meant anything, nor for any material reason. We had been placed in these chairs, brought to this point, because of our life stories, and even more pointed, because of our pain.

As each person spoke, the undertones of their life struggles surfaced, empathy flowed from these people not because of something someone taught then, but because they have experience with what it means to overcome. To be broken and rise again is to know the pain of others.

Today I was one of those people. I reflected back on the pains of my yesterday, my life story that landed me in this seat. I can look backward from this instant; I can see my pain, my struggles, my fights for life, each so clear from this place and in this moment. As I wipe tears from my face I can say that I don’t wish for someone else’s life, I don’t wish for someone else to carry my pain, because through my pain I’ve learned how to listen and care for others.

Today, every voice who ever told me that I couldn’t was silenced.   

Today, God showed me who I am, and for the first time in a long time, I believed him.

Today, I am beautifully broken, but I am full of hope.

The Sun is Rising