Honesty

Do you know the reason why I wrote The Girl on the Swings: Transparency?

Well, I used to bottle things up. I didn't tell anyone when something bothered me. I kept my mouth shut when I was hurt. I would hide away and cry when things got tough because of others. Basically, I hated expressing certain feelings.

However, swallowing all of those negative emotions led to a backup in my mental state. It got to the point where I could not go a single day without thinking about who or what hurt me or the feelings I was keeping from others. It made me feel sick.

So, I sought some professional help.

This led to me taking my first big step: I told the guy I liked, at the time, how I felt. I already knew his feelings, but I needed to start freeing myself. And you know what? I was proud of myself.

Then, I started telling my mom how I felt about certain situations. I let her see me cry more. She didn't understand it all the time nor how to address it, but I was feeling better.

All of these baby steps helped me to create my third book of poetry but also to help me grow as an individual.

We have to be honest with ourselves and with the people around us. Hiding under a smile or silence isn't always the answer. It's okay to let someone know how you really feel.

When we can reach that point of transparency, or at least start trying, I believe that we can make better connections. We can understand each other better. We can learn from one another.

It all begins with that one small step: saying how you feel.

When you open that door to your heart, everything else will start falling into place.