Friday, May 14, 2010

Breathe


"I feel like you made this world a lot better. Every day that I read your words I feel like something has changed inside me".

That is a comment someone left on this Live Journal I've been reading http://65redroses.livejournal.com

It's probably one of the things every writer longs to hear. Or anyone who dares to share their innermost thoughts and feelings. One of the highest compliments someone could receive, to know they made a difference to someone. I discovered Eva's blog through a CNN article a few weeks ago and have been feverishly trying to read through four years of entries. I've been captivated and inspired by the musings of this brave soul. She reminds me of the inner strength that lies within each of us and helps me see the gratitude in even the most dire circumstances.

One of the things Eva reveals in her Live Journal is that she's a very cheerful and positive person but her journal is a place she can be free to write about the darker feelings she has. That struck me because I'm a pretty positive person but a lot of my writing (especially poetry) is relatively dark. When I go back and read it, I'll think how depressing it sounds. On one hand, I've always felt there was something beautiful about expressing these things but at the same time I would feel hesitant for people to read them because I thought it would show I wasn't really as positive as I presented myself to the world.

Well the truth is we all have a shadow side and that's just the yin/yan of being human. We're all filled with deep melancholy and hollowness from time to time and that stuff needs an outlet just like our happy thoughts. I choose to allow mine to flow through my writing. I guess what I've realized through reading 65_RedRoses is that expressing your angst is in fact often what connects us to others and helps ease their journeys along the way. Maybe I'll be a little less shy now about sharing my own pain and raw life experiences.

Rest in peace Eva, for I know you are dancing on the sunbeams of eternity.

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