Stay Connected : See Me

Do you see me?

Do you see who I truly am – body, mind, heart, and spirit? Will you look beyond my shell and see me?

Will you offer Understanding, Support, and Respect?

When threatened or abused the turtle pulls back and hides in its shell till it believes the threat has past and all seems calm.

Those of us who have experienced trauma via abuse, neglect, or events, fashion our own shells. Sometime shells are made of anger, some of fear, some of unworthiness and some a combination of these. When we feel others looking at us with judgement or anger, we hear someone whispering about us behind a door or around the corner we pull into our shell for protection. That may mean running and avoidance, yelling and stomping around, or shutdown.

Will you look beyond our shell? Will you wait for us to feel safe? Can you offer understanding and support?

As for the turtle there are times the shell is no real protection. There are even times it can mean greater danger. So, it can be for us as well. Also, as time passes the shell we wear can mean loss. Loss of a chance to learn – loss of the chance to share – loss of a better future…

Will you offer encouragement for change? Will you help to minimize our loss? Can you show us a brighter future and respect?

Unlike the turtle we can remove our shell when it no longer serves us. We can look forward to the day we can put our shell permanently away.

Then we can make sure we see others for who they truly are. We can then reach out to those who wear a shell, offering understanding, support, and respect.