A small child can tell grown ups how growth takes place: it hurts.  My Moses would be the first to tell you that this pain requires sleep disruptions, hot compresses, and tea.  With my Celtic ancestry, you knew that there would be some tea in there, right?  🙂

At 39, I’m many years removed from my physical growing pains.

That’s when it’s easy to get confused by what is happening.  We forget the simple answers that tell us about the process of growing.  Growth doesn’t stop until the day we die.  Well, hopefully it doesn’t.  We are not supposed to stunt our emotional and spiritual growth, even if it’s uncomfortable.

Most people like to say they have “baggage” once they’ve reached a certain age.

I object to that term.

Let’s go fantasy style: we have demons to fight, dragons to fly (thank you, George R.R. Martin), and monsters to vanquish.

Not that the cheerful language (haha) means any of this is easier.  We all have stories in our past that have shaped some of our character traits.  Those stories may very well be things we have no desire to re-read.  George Santayana told us that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”  We can’t turn our faces away from our own truth.

And we cannot conform our truth to the comfort of others.

Speak.  Remember.  Push forward.

Demons can be destroyed.  They’re only demons.

You are the hero, capable of everything, if you look with honest eyes and speak that honesty, on the page and off.

Blessings to you all, and happy Monday!