Thursday, 3 March 2016

Lessons From Hugging A Porcupine

By Evan Sanders


So I hate to break it to you, but I've never actually hugged a porcupine.

But in this metaphor, I have.

So bear with me for a minute while I explain away.

Relationships are complicated.

All types of relationships are complicated. It's amazing that any of us get along in the first place. With all of the craziness of life going on, life can be pretty difficult at times.

Then throw in people's past experiences into the pot with a dash of ego and we have even more of a miracle that we can get along.

But there's something really to be said about "being there" for people despite all of the complexities of life. There's something to be said for being someone's rock when everything seems to be falling apart around them.

We all need someone to support us from time to time when things get hard. Because the reality is that we can't do this thing called life all on our own. We need others to confide in. We need others to give us a hand.

But that takes vulnerability and vulnerability is one of the scariest things in the world.

It takes breaking down those walls in front of someone else and being able to show them exactly who you are. You don't censor it. You don't hide parts. You just go...this is exactly who I am.

So what's the really beautiful part about this?

You give someone the opportunity to love you just the way you are and just the way you aren't.

You become imperfectly perfect to them and they love you to death for knowing all of those flaws you've so desperately tried to hide from the world.

We are all thirsting for a type of love that allows us to feel truly loved.

People can be pretty prickly at times...like a porcupine...especially when their lives get really hard.

Give those people a hug.

Nourish them. Love them. Take care of them. Break down their walls and barriers if they don't have the courage to do it themselves. Stand right in front of them and say, "I love you exactly the way you are...no matter what version that may be right now. I'm right here."

That's true love.

That's loving someone just how they are.

That's how we all deserve to be loved.

That' what we deserve.




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