The (S)Heroes Who Walk Among Us

My (s)heroes are the wise and vulnerable, the capable and loving, imperfect in their perfections, those who acknowledge sorrow and look for joy. They feel their emotions authentically and aren’t afraid to own their stuff and look for solution, give relief and bottom out just to be able to rise to the surface again. They don’t fit into any one box of crayons, their colors shine brightly, sometimes covered in tears and the sweat from hard work but always beautifully human, as flawed as I am and accepting of that. They are the resilient deep thinkers who have been left standing on the edge of the cliff, jagged rocks below and no where to go and still said ‘okay, now what?’

I’m in contact with these people, male and mostly female on a daily basis. They are my trauma informed peers, my clients, the students I mentor, my therapists over the years, my tribe of friends and my best friend. They give me so many gifts every day, that I know they don’t realize or see. They teach me to not take myself so seriously, to look for the positives in people and situations. They teach me that it is okay to be in pain, that it won’t last forever and to accept where I am at. They teach me grace, respect and dignity of self.