Caroline Flohr's Blog: Caroline Flohr, author's personal blog - Posts Tagged "compassion"

To live my best life, I know that I must live with authenticity. To live with authenticity, I know I must be vulnerable. I must be willing to let go of who I think I should be. I must open up and be seen. And that scares me.

To be vulnerable, I must have the courage to be imperfect. I must have the compassion to be kind to myself. I must remember that what makes me vulnerable is what makes me beautiful. I must believe that I am enough.

So when I choose to show my vulnerability, do I need to know that you are worthy of that vulnerability? Do I need to question your sense of worthiness? Maybe the question I should be asking is, “Are you worthy of connecting with me?” Certainly connection is why I’m here. Connection is what gives purpose and meaning to my life. I have learned that what matters in the end are the connections I leave behind.

My grandmother would always say, “Get to know someone, Caroline dear, before trusting them with your heart.” In other words, pay attention to that which I choose to let into my life.

My mother would always tell me, “Never put anything in writing. It might be used against you.” In other words, pay attention to how you open yourself to the world. Goodness knows she holds my heart in her gentle hands like a snow globe.

But I write. That’s what I love to do. I write true and honest stories from a mother’s heart to share with the world. My first publication, Heaven’s Child, is an intimate memoir about family, tragedy, and a small community. It’s a story that makes you think, feel, and maybe cry. It’s that raw story written with too much honesty. But you know…it’s probably the most important story I will ever share. I bare my soul to the world in Heaven’s Child. Maybe I’m naïve. But I’d rather be vulnerable and live my best life, loving with my whole heart.

To live your best life, must you be vulnerable?

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