Why is it so hard for us to let others know our flaws? I mean, other than the ones that are self – evident, like we’re always the late one or we never fill the gas tank til the needle’s on empty. 😉

I’m talking about those little things we think are so BIG we can’t share them. Those tiny secrets that make us feel ‘less’ somehow – and that we often believe belong to us alone.

Why do we hide them?

Probably because of exactly what I said above – they make us feel like we are less. Less than perfect. Less desirable. Less fun. Less of that person – that persona – we want to world to see.

I had a moment recently that shook my views on this & made me realize that sometimes, when we share some of those things we think are so (terrible… weird … unflattering… fill in the blank) it actually makes us more. MORE relatable. MORE desirable. MORE open. It makes us real.

Real is a hard thing to be – it requires an openness & an honesty that it not easy to find every day. But when we choose it, it gives us such a gift back – we become whole.

Ever read The Velveteen Rabbit? One of my favourite childhood stories, it is about a stuffed rabbit that learns that love is what makes him real, even after he is old & shabby & missing an eye. I forget about it for long periods of time, but then in moments like these, it comes back to me.

When did that precious stuffed bunny become real? When he was loved. For all his imperfections.

Perfection doesn’t guarantee us love. In fact, nothing in this world can guarantee us that. But one thing I can promise is that being honest about who you are – what you struggle with, those flaws that you think are so ugly they need to be hidden away – brings so much healing, and can strengthen the bonds with those around you more than you can imagine. It brings such a sense of freedom into your life, because you no longer have to hide a part of what makes you who you are.

So let them go. You are beautiful. Flaws, scars, imperfections – they tell a story & are a part of what makes us unique. They are you.