Hurt people hurt people
01 Nov 2010 Leave a Comment
In the classes I teach, we talk about a little girl who is moving from her foster home to her adoptive home. Her foster dad is upset that she is leaving, and chooses to say goodbye over the phone instead of in person. I have thought many times that if I were ever in this situation, I would ask foster dad, “isn’t this precious little girl worth crying over? Shouldn’t she know how important she was to you?” I envision myself telling him to “grow some balls” and “man up” because that little girl desperately needs to know she matters.
Just like the foster dad in the story, I run from situations that may cause me to have a strong emotional response. I avoid confrontation like you would not believe, and if there is a possibility that I may disappoint someone? Count me out. When my feelings are hurt or I am overcome with sadness, I wait until I have plenty of time alone to let the tears run down my face. I hide my emotions because the instant people know how much they matter, I start to feel vulnerable. And that’s not exactly my favorite feeling.
So….what am I trying to say?
Just like the little girl in the story, every person needs to know that they are important. I’m learning that by hiding how I feel, I am communicating to the people around me that they don’t matter. And nothing could be farther from the truth.
