Do you remember playing Hide and Seek when you were young, and the thrill you felt when you found that perfect hiding spot? Sitting quietly in it, grinning from ear to ear, knowing that there was no way anyone would find you?
Your friends would be running back and forth, calling for you, looking in all the wrong places, until finally you just couldn't stand it anymore and you would start laughing and then show yourself.
We play this same game as adults, only it's not quite so much fun as the kids' version. The difference is that we hide the things we don't want others to see, and there's not much laughing involved.
I'm often asked how I keep things so together, and people seem amazed at how organized and positive I am. Apparently, the picture I portray outwardly in my blog, on my Facebook page, in my conversations, is pretty rosy these days. And, honestly, that's how I want it to be, because for the most part, my life is going pretty well.
But, that doesn't mean that I really have it all together. In fact, lately there have been more days than not where I feel like I don't. I wake up nervous and scared, and second-guessing myself. I lose track of time and miss appointments or forget to go grocery shopping. I yell at my boys because my overstressed brain just can't handle one more thing. I curl up into a ball and cry, just because. And I often feel very, very alone.
I have a great hiding spot for the things in my life that hurt too much to show others. It's buried so deep that even I have a hard time finding it some days. Only my very closest friends and family know what's in it, and only when I choose to let them.
I'm not writing this post for sympathy, or crying out for help, so don't worry about me...honestly! I just wanted to share that no matter how positive, or blessed, or organized that I might seem, I'm just a real person with real issues and real struggles.
I hope that my posts encourage others who struggle, because I believe that the struggle in life is what makes us stronger. I wouldn't be the person I am today if I hadn't lived this exact life, with these exact struggles. I am grateful for them, even on the hard days.
The things that make you hurt should not own your life, so having a perfect hiding spot is important. But, it's also important to let others into your hiding spot from time to time so that they can help you see the good in your struggles too.
It's like one gigantic game of Hide and Seek - sometimes finding each other easily, and other times passing right by the perfect hiding spot of a good friend.
Keep your eyes open and watch for signs.
The most meaningful things are hiding where you'd least expect to find them.