We live in an era where image is everything. Perfect house, perfect car, perfect kids, perfect husband, perfect hair, perfect nails, perfect teeth, perfect cat--you get the picture. We feel that we must all the time have it all together--and not only that--but prove to the world that we have it all together too. Only a few trusted souls within the inner-inner-most circles are even given a glimpse of our less than perfect lives. For example, the only person I don't stress over coming to my house is my mom. Anyone else rings my doorbell and I am doing a mad sweep of the house (you know--hastily transfering the clothes from the couch to the bed, throwing the yet to be sorted, chunked and recycled mail into the utility room, making sure the three year-old actually flushed the toilet, and lest we forget that last minute check to make sure a pair of panties or socks haven't wedged themselves in-between the cushions of my couch). Is it because I care about her less? Or I don't value her opinion of me as much as I do strangers? Nope. It is because I know she will love me no matter what--panties in the cushion and all. It is why I have her over to my house more often than anyone else.
My point is, I think sometimes--correction, most of the time, we are so busy trying to play this perfect part, that we keep everything bottled inside. Live in a perpetual state of pent up stress. It is important sometimes to let let your hair down. Release those emotions. Whether you are pounding the walls in frustration, or crying to God in despair. Cleanse your soul of the incapsulated feelings. We are a family that believes in letting it all hang out--literally. The good, the bad and the ugly. We fight hard, we love hard, and we live hard. One of my favorite movies is The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. And in one scene, the daughter, Sidda, is on the phone with her mom, Vivi. It is the opening scene of the movie and Vivi is livid with her daughter over a tell-all article that exposed some of the not so flattering details of her childhood. Vivi feels betrayed and humiliated and is VERY upset with her daughter and is definitely letting her daughter know it. Vivi then hanges up on her daughter, and Sidda proceeds to slam the phone down on the counter over and over and over again. The scene makes me laugh every single time I watch it. And it reminds me how important it is to let it all out. If you have been holding something back, don't. If you need to cry, cry. If you need to laugh, laugh. If you need to pound those walls get a punching bag (I have found that a pillow or the couch works fine too), invite the person who loves you know matter what over, and let it all out. Then take a trip to your local Sonic, roll the windows down, order a chocolate malt (request extra malt of course--after all you deserve it). And then? Treat you trusty friend to a malt too of course! Have a favorite letting it all hang out tip, advice or story? We'd love to hear it.
Happy Friday everyone!
