I See You And I’m Sorry For the Shame You’re Feeling
A letter to the girl in the back of the room - and to anyone who's carrying shame about their past.
I don't know your name.
I saw you at the retreat, sitting near the back of the room. If I had to guess, you were somewhere in your mid-20s. Definitely one of the youngest people there. And when it was your turn to share what you'd written on your offering card, you said something that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.
This Is What a Crisis of the Soul Looks Like (When You're Still In It)
I'm not writing this from the other side.
I'm not writing this with the benefit of hindsight, where I can tie everything up with a bow and tell you how it all worked out. I'm not going to give you the "here's what I learned" breakdown that makes everything feel neat and resolved.
I'm writing this from the middle. From the mess. From January 2027, where I'm battling depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and a bleak state of mind that I haven't felt this intensely in 8 years.
And I'm scared.