the universe smiles

As I was sitting down in the kitchen hand feeding the lost dog my daughter brought home I thought how the universe was smiling at me today.  I thought of the expression and realised it was the title of the lovely blog vicki writes.  Counting our blessings is important and today I am taking stock of mine.  Yesterday I attended a wonderful seminar on mental health and suicide awarenesss.  It was a mix of professionals and "real people" as one of the professionals called us.  I knew quite a few of the professionals and realised how far I have come in my journey.  The local mayor organised it.  He spoke with such feeling and passion about the topic that I felt truly inspired.  He spoke about how until you experience it you cannot really understand.  For me my mental health issues are a bit like childbirth - impossible to understand until you have experienced it.  

It was a little overwhelming for me to hear the stories of others trying to find help for their loved ones or find a way to exist with their own problems.  Wellness is something that we need to work on everyday.  For those of us that it does not come naturally for then it is worth the extra effort.  My biggest breakthrough recently was to realise that it is ok to be vulnerable, and perhaps it is more than ok to be vulnerable maybe it is actually necessary.  I cried openly in public when I heard one lady speak about her experiences.  Had I done that two years ago I would have felt ashamed or embarassed.  One of the speakers cried and said something that helped crystalise the awareness that was building in me.  It is ok to be vulnerable.  She felt confident to be vulnerable in the safe space of that room.  

So today express your vulnerability, dont keep it locked away.  You might be surprised to learn that you are not alone.  And when the universe smiles on you smile back and say thank you.