Thank you for being in my life.
You’ve only been in my life for a few months, but you are very special to me.
I’ve been sitting for a while in the hot LA sun trying to figure out what to say.
And describe what you mean to me and why I like you so much.
But when I try to put words and labels on to you they don’t seem to fit. The words are too complicated or cloying or lacking magic.
I thought and struggled some more and I figured something out. Well, actually Ze Frank helped me figure something out.
Dear Things, you don’t carry shame. Shame that slowly steel the stars, creeping up like pollution and city lights. Stars diminishing in number, the weakest lights smothered first, then a narrowing field of the brightest lights, and maybe the smog will take them too.
Things, you don’t carry shame. Sometimes you feel guilt, but that is different. Sometimes guilt can face the risk of turning into shame and presses against you, but it is a puzzling thing to be looked at, to be asked questions, treated firmly and kindly and put down. There is no shame in worry, no shame in vulnerability, just an open, natural questioning. For you, shame is not a natural piece of star stealing virtue. Even shame is something you look at without shame.
You are curious and kind. You are what I aspire to be.
Wrote the heart of this when I was in LA, sitting on my suitcase while waiting for a store to open. This is the post by Ze Frank that inspired me.
I like you.
PS: It stunned me when he said check out Brene Brown. By that time I already knew that I wanted to write this letter. We both like Brene Brown this is Things being vulnerable and my shout out to her.