Stories that Need to be Told

The Help

My neighbor lent me a book called The Help and I just finished reading it. We also saw the movie, and it was one of the best films I've ever seen. It had every element of a good story in it. And it is such an eye-opening story.

It's a story set in the deep south during the early 60's, when there was so much unrest in our country.

It's a story about ignorance and denial.

It's a story about courage. Courage to tell a story that needed to be told.

There were a lot of angry people because of the telling of the story, but it needed to be told. There were also a lot of freed people because of the telling of the story. The truth needed to come out. A story exposing realities can be mighty uncomfortable. But there was freedom in the truth being told.

There are so many stories that need to be told. I have one. I hope I have the courage to tell it.


Note: I don't want to minimize that time in our history by calling it just "a story." It's so much more than a story -- it's our history, bad and good. I'm sure this book has served to validate some things that have been long denied and, for others, to see things from a different perspective, as sometimes only a story can accomplish. My hope is that we, including myself, take these lessons into account in our daily lives.


This post is not an advertisement or paid endorsement. Just my own opinion.

on self-worth and comparison

It's a well-known fact that sometimes we find too much of our worth in our work.

Hay Harvest at Eragny, Camille Pissarro 1901

National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Source: Wikipedia

We find it difficult to not measure ourselves or "prove" ourselves worthy by how busy we are and how much we get accomplished. A sure sign is when we start telling others they need to do more too, or do it better, or judging them because they're not living up to our standards.

Life becomes one big balancing act that teeters on a very thin rope, ready to fray and send us spiraling down any minute. We don't face it and stop our denial, and it oddly propels us to go even faster. More caffeine, please!

Lise Sewing 1866, Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Dallas Museum of Art

Some women seem to have it all together. The key word is "seem."

It's important for me to remember that the part of someone else's life I see is all I see. And it's usually a very small part.

Young Housewife, Oil on canvas.

The Russian Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia
Source: Wikipedia

"You can live a lifetime and,
at the end of it,
know more about other people
than you know about yourself."
~ Beryl Markham

I think maybe an accurate addendum to the above would be, "think we know more about other people..." All I see is all I see.

I want to be a true friend who accepts others where they are, and be there to support and encourage them on their journey when they need it. Not give un-solicited advice telling them they need to be like me, or tearing them down instead of building them up. A fine line sometimes. I know I need help in that area. And admitting is the beginning of growth.

Join Emily and others at Imperfect Prose on Thursdays. You have GOT to read her post from today on "Boys with Clown Noses." Get your box of tissues ready.

living in gratitude

"Only when we are no longer afraid
do we begin to live in every experience,
painful or joyous,
to live in gratitude for every moment,
to live abundantly."
~ Dorothy Thompson

I came to the realization that I was trying to live out other people's ideals.

It had less to do with God, and more to do with other people's perceptions of what they think God wants and what they personally think is the only way.

Self-deception. It's so natural and easy to live in denial.

The fear of man.

"God is on my side;
I will not fear:
what can man do unto me?"
(Psalm 118:6)

Emily at chatting at the sky talks about grace for the good girl here.

I was a good girl gone bad, then I was trying to be "good-er" than good, and now, well, now I'm just trying to be real and genuine. Some people have farther to travel than others.