Vulnerability

Dear Stranger,

When we think of vulnerability, we often associate it with weakness. My mind has always been a - "Who wants to risk being hurt by opening up? Who would care?"- mindset. But one thing I've learned is when we hide behind walls of protection, we close ourselves off from forming meaningful connections. I'm not saying opening up is easy or something you must do, but I still remember the first time I chose to be vulnerable to my friends. At a friend's house, the conversation shifted to more serious matters. Despite my initial fears, I decided to share my ongoing battle with anxiety, depression, and my family struggles. As I spoke, I felt fear wash over me. We were close but were we close enough for me to share this freely? And then they began to share their own stories. It felt like shedding old skin and now we have a closer relationship today because of it. Though even now I continue to grapple with the fear of being vulnerable.

-Blue