Do you let yourself be touched by life? Be moved?
Moved to tears?
Moved to rage?
Moved to exhilaration?

Or do you peek through the slits in your barricade, 
safe inside your heavy stone walls 
and your wide moat?

Impenetrable to the touchings of life

The realness

The Immediacy

She pulls on your heart-strings
if you’ll let her

A maestro playing a symphony that is felt instead of heard

It cracks you open even more
and lets your heart
greet other hearts you come upon
with the tender caress of long lost lovers
a depth that transcends decades apart

Why are we so afraid to feel?

Is it because pain or rage are inherently uncomfortable?
Is it because we fear we may look weak or crazy?
That we’ll be mocked?
That we won’t be loved?

News flash

It’s the only
way
we
can
be

Let yourself be touched. 
Let yourself sob at commercials
or be moved to tears or frenzy when something hits you just right there
in the tender ‘wound’
in the soft spot
at the majesty of a dolphin
at the devastation of a collapsing landmark or a collapsing ecosystem
at the innocent glee of a toddler smashing
at the dog who won’t quit dropping the slobbery ball at your feet
as his wild eyes flash with ecstasy

Empty your moat.

It’s the walls that hint at weakness.

In big moments and small,

Strength is 
FEELING

deeply

undefended

and alive