This painting says, “She saw herself as broken. God saw her as beautiful.”
Every time I do a post about my background, like I did yesterday for #DayoftheGirl, I get a variety of responses. Some people think I’m still in that sad place and feel sorry for me. (Don’t.) Some people think I’m talking about “discipline” or something temporary and in the moment, something that every kid experiences. (Nope, that’s not it.)
Some tell me to “get over it.” (I am. You’re missing the point, but thanks for being you.) Some think I’m trying to tell everyone how wonderful I am. (Which I don’t think, but again, thanks for being you.)
And then there are the other responses, often done quietly and privately, that tell their own stories. And they are steeped with deeply rooted pain that even though they are adults, they struggle with self-worth. If you were never mistreated with systemic abuse, daily, all the time, from the time you were so small your brain was still developing, for no reason other than the people that abused you were selfish and ignorant, then you cannot understand this issue. And that’s okay. There is a part of me that is happy when someone “just doesn’t get it” because it means they didn’t experience it. That makes me happy that they can’t possibly know.
But there are others who do know. I heard from some yesterday, and I was traveling most of the day and am still working through the responses. That’s how prevalent this issue is. That is why I still talk about it, because I want to tell these people who instantly understand what I’m saying that there is a way out of it. It is not easy. But there is a way to be whole, to have a balanced view of self, to live a happy life and best of all, give and receive love in a healthy way.
There is a reason I paint and write the way I do. There is a reason I work in whimsical images and bright colors, because I want to give you a place that exists outside the darkness. If you struggle with the issues I mentioned, count me as the safe place to share your story without judgement. You are loved.
The original painting is available for sale, here.
Prints are available here.
