Brace Yourself, Growing is Hard
When I was a developing toddler, I had to wear “Forrest Gump” leg braces that looked something like this:
I swear I can still smell the steel and the mildewy leather of the weighty and cumbersome shoes. One day, my mother was either instructed to have me not wear them anymore, or felt I didn’t need them. She put them away, and my days were to start without them. I, however, KEPT WANTING to wear them, as if they were this comforting binky that I needed. I would find where she put them, and put them on. I missed them! She ended up having to hide them from me.
One day, I was searching and searching, and I found them somewhere near or under the stove. I have a very specific memory of feeling glee, a rush. Christmas! I had found my crutch. At this point, the shoes didn’t even fit. Toes smashed up front, heels sticking out, I went running tippy-toed to my mother into the living room with them on for my “gotcha!” moment. What a sight that must have been.
I’ve told this story to a few of my friends and we have giggled about it (you had to be there for my physical comedy). Humans, man. We seem to intrinsically have this inclination to hold on to the things that we don’t need, weigh ourselves down with things that hold us back. What is that! We get so comfortable with our restraints, that when it’s time to grow, we don’t want to — until we are forced to. Some would rather deal with the agonizing pain it causes to try to fit into something that doesn’t fit anymore due to the paralyzing fear of the unknown, and remain in a torporific state of chaos.
I was freed by losing those leg braces, yet I took extra lengths to search for them and restrain myself. I did not know until I jumped full force into growth that growth was better.
Mad Lib for future reference:
I was freed by letting go of _______. I didn’t know until I jumped full force into growth that growth was better.
Seems simple, right?