It's Okay To Fall Apart Sometimes

by Michele Boy | May 2, 2024

It's May!
I had a rough end of April. And a lot of it was public. Some people ask why? Many people choose to keep it inside and put on a public face. I cannot. However I choose to use this challenge/gift for the good. 
When my daughter showed livestock this weekend, she didn't win. I wanted her to see the good in what she did. I posted on social media where she is in her showing. She asked why. She thought we should only post the good.
I said how would that help someone else? If everything you showed the world was perfect, how does that help your brother or sister?
We are all in this together. We need to lean on each other. But we can't do that when we don't show some of our needs.
Also, as you continue on your path, you get stronger. Maybe the person behind you needs to see your growth. 
Growth doesn't come from sitting around, giving up, or just miraculously rising to the top. It comes from grinding, digging, falling down, failing, and rising again and again.
If all we show is our grandeur, then the person behind you thinks that can't happen for me.
It's not our job to pull them up, it's theirs. But I do believe it is our job to lend a hand up, to encourage, to offer something to help them see themselves as worthy. 
If you have a gift and you hoard it, what good does that do your fellow man or woman?
There is a bible story about giving three men some money. 
The "Parable of the Talents", in Matthew 25:14–30. Yes, I looked that up. 
A master left his home to travel. Before he left he entrusted them with talents (money). According to the abilities of each man, one servant received five talents, the second had received two, and the third received only one.
When the master returned, the first two invested and doubled their money. The third buried the money and the master was disappointed.
I would add that it is not only money. If you are good at your job, are you training the next person to take it? That sounds ridiculous in some ways. But really it is opening a door for yourself to move to the next higher level. 
I love hearing stories of a seasoned farmer helping out the younger farmer. I like seeing the peewee showmanship in the livestock ring. When the older kids show the younger ones, it makes my heart happy. 
When a family lost some things in a bad storm, neighbors, family, and friends came to help.
If we are always focused on me and mine, we can lose the beauty of the day.
How amazing is it if we looked for opportunities to help? I think that is what teachers do daily. They offer a hand. They use their gifts to brighten a child's future. 
I like the idea of each day looking to help someone - not to do it for them. That teaches nothing. It takes patience and time. 
I would say most of us are decent at that. However, what about the opposite? Are you willing to show your weaknesses and challenges when things aren't going your way to help someone? I would say less are good at that.
When I fell apart one day in April, it was in front of a number of people. It doesn't matter the circumstances, it matters I wasn't at my best. I worried after if I would still have friends. Would the world see this ugliness inside and turn away? 
I saw a quote that said smooth seas do not make a great sailor. It's true. My outburst the other day made me see a vulnerability I try to push down and may be time to look at. 
But I saw another saying I liked even more. It's okay if you fall apart sometimes. Tacos fall apart and we still love them.
Happy May everyone!