by Victoria Tiegert

Created on: October 23, 2009

There are some experiences that people go through which are kept secrets, hidden away in the dark recesses of the heart, where we hope that they'll stay forever. It is our belief that by tucking the things that hurt us away, they will be disabled from causing us any further pain. We try to forget and move on, but we realize eventually that we can't. Ignoring our pain never works in the long run. We may be able to run from the shadows that are chasing us for a time, but it is rarely long before they catch up to us and we are forced to confront and deal with them, or allow them to destroy us.

There is a beauty in this need to open up and face our problems head on and that is that it begins to open us up to those around us, as well. We become a part of the world that we live in, complete with hurting people just like ourselves. In doing this, we are able to begin to relate to one another. We will find some people that have walked the path that we are on and made it through. We will find others that are just beginning along that path, not as far down the road as we are, and we can slow down and wait for them. We can take their hands and help them through the portions that we remember from our own journey.

Sharing your experiences with others allows them to know that they aren't alone. Feeling alone when you're in pain is a terrible thing. You want to have help, but how do you get it? You don't really just go out and start asking people if they've shared this sort of tragedy or trauma, that's just not reality to think that a person who's hurting would do that. It is up to those of us who've already been there to make our stories known. As we share, we become a light to those who feel lost in the darkness. We become hope for the hopeless and a soothing balm for the wounded.

There are many ways to make your personal experiences known. Don't hide them away, even if there are things about them that you aren't really proud of. No one is perfect and sometimes, that imperfection is just what someone else needs to see in order for them to feel like they're not failures, or "bad people". They are just human beings, like all the rest of us, trying desperately to find happiness and peace. If our past experiences can help with that, why would we want to keep them to ourselves?

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