I was once an aspiring martyr. I’d pride myself on how often, or how deeply, I’d suffer when doing too much for someone else. I would brag about how I’d show up for people, even when my own life was falling apart around me. In a distorted messed-up way, I thought this was evidence that I was an outstanding friend, worthy of love and appreciation.
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Difficult People Are An Extraordinary Blessing
Difficult people force us to take a hard look at ourselves and those areas where we still need to grow. I’d go as far as to say they are a integral to our emotional and spiritual development. So when we convince ourselves that it’s okay to dismiss them, because they aren’t our kind of people, we miss out on vital life lessons. This is the first entry in a series called, Difficult People: An Unconventional Blessing. Once a month, I'll share ongoing practices that help me maintain a sense of peace with difficult people. My hope is that you’ll find these posts comforting and useful.
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Love Letters From Beyond: How To Hold Onto Those We’ve Loved
I didn't understand then what I know now. The hurt that can come from being absent when someone we love dies is unbearable. It took my own mother's death to realize what I had taken that day. Blue hydrangeas became my silent apology for my selfishness. Years before my mom passed, I asked her why she loved hydrangeas. Turns out, it was her mother's favorite flower.
