breathe, sister

even introverts need people.

i know. shocking. if you're like me {the introvert} you'll want to take a moment, let the truth of that sink in, and pause to both recover and appreciate the weight of that statement.

because the reality is that life sometimes overwhelms.
and perhaps, introverts, more than most--hold that overwhelming life in. they take it all in, wrap it up, and keep it like a Christmas day gift. all to themselves.

all to myself.

but i had a sort of epiphany the other day.
or maybe it was simply one of the many weird analogies that come to me as they often do.
but here goes:

choosing to keep your pain to yourself is like the ineffective breathing of a laboring woman.

and enter: the sisterhood.

for me, i love that this is both the literal sisterhood and also--others who are not.
i have flesh and blood who stands beside me, holds me up, and encourages me. . . as well as a number of women both in this online world and in real life who offer prayer, practical helps, and the ever-important love language of mine: words.

and most importantly of all, they encourage this one thing. this thing that gives life, that helps the pain, that makes the next step along the journey doable:

breathe.

for that is what makes all the difference for the woman coming into my labor room. epidural aside, there are moments for ALL laboring women where they must learn the technique of breathing. there are ways that make the pain better. and ways that make the pain worse.

the key is to lean into the pain. breathe deeply. allow the inhale to fill and then cause those muscles to relax. the more she can do this, the more she can focus on her breathing. . . she'll find the pain more manageable. able to be endured. controlled.

so instead of screaming against life's pain, lashing out against those around me, or maybe even worse: hiding it all inside and storing it up for one big crisis. . . the sisterhood enables me to breathe. to drink deeply of words of encouragement. to know that i'm never alone through the journey. and to relax against the pain, knowing that another day is coming. a NEW day is coming.

and like the laboring woman, the gift on the other side will often make the pain of today contrast in pale comparison.

or at the very least, look back on it with a smile & a laugh.



sharing with the sisterhood of soli deo gloria