Beyond The Cage
The greatest gift we can give ourselves is self-acceptance.
I have never been one to fit the status quo. Not at school, or in social circles. I have always seemed to be out of place. Well, that is how I have felt, always on the outside. Definitely not one of the popular kids.
Even when I grew up, I still felt out of place; I just didn’t seem to fit in. Perhaps it is because I am an artist and the common interests of other people don’t hold my attention. Or maybe, it is because I am obsessive about my artistic pursuits.
Being obsessive with creative expression can be beneficial for being motivated and getting work accomplished, but it also has some detrimental repercussions. My children, of whom I have four, can attest to the agony of late school pickups and burnt dinners. I just couldn’t leave the painting unfinished.
I attended school events under duress, and although we all laugh about it now, I’m sure my kids would have liked more of an ordinary mum. One who had home cooking prepared when they came home from school, instead of finding a wet painting on the kitchen table.
But we are who we are, and I can’t change the things I regret, even if I wanted to. This is who I am. It has taken a while for me to realise the greatest gift we can give ourselves is self-acceptance.
