Due to COVID, we have spent a long time socially distancing and protecting ourselves and others. We have all become very used to wearing a mask in public. The masks we’ve been wearing and the distance we have been observing are literal masks and literal distance. Someday soon, hopefully, we will be able to remove our masks and close up the distance. All of us, even the introverts among us, are looking forward to the day when we can be closer to each other and see each other smile. One hope that I hold on to is that I will soon be able to remove my mask while singing with my quartet. However, even before COVID, haven’t we always had masks on? I like to think about this as our “figurative masks.”
Our Figurative Masks
Our figurative masks are the ones we hide behind. This is the mask we use to protect our hearts and emotions. These are the ones we put on every time we have to face ourselves in the mirror. These are the masks we started wearing decades ago to keep the world from knowing who we are and what we are dealing with. These are the same masks we wear so the world can’t see our pain, and the masks we put on to keep others from knowing how much they hurt us.
Removing our figurative masks essentially means showing our true selves, being vulnerable, and being truthful, the inner self that we hide and protect. So this begs the question, what about our “figurative masks?” When are we going to remove those masks?
Where and when do you feel safe enough to remove your mask? Are there people that you trust enough to remove your mask in front of? Do you ever take it off or do you wear it 24/7? What will it take to feel free from shame so that your mask can come off for just a little while?
What if?
What if you removed your mask for just a little while? What would you do? What could you do? Could you leave it off for a long time? Would your life be different? Are you willing to be that vulnerable? Are you ready to be that free? Is it time?
Have the courage to unmask your inner self. Show your true self and be vulnerable. There is strength in embracing our deep, deep fears. It’s even more possible to unmask ourselves now because anything is possible with Lipedema!
-Gail