I sit here in a small village in Cuba where it has been raining for the past few days.  My mind wanders to my home in the states and to my family and friends.  My mind also wanders to my own insecurities and fears and to those of many friends and acquaintances.  Many of us have been so indoctrinated to believe our insecurities and doubts are real.  They often become the things that paralyze us. Some of us have been surrounded or have been involved with others who not only do not have our best interest at heart but feel threatened by our very existence.

Sadly, in life there is hurt.  We will unintentionally hurt others and they will hurt us.  What we do with the hurt determines whether or not we survive and become whole or fall to our insecurities and fears.  It is the strength and the courage in us to forgive and meet others with compassion.  It is for us to become the people we truly can be and be an example of what love and acceptance can look like.  Often times others come at us from a place of hurt with all of the fury and pain they can mete out.  This is the time we must stand in our power and allow them to have their pain and hurt but we no longer are a target.  We place our boundaries, draw our line in the sand and reach to love them with a long arm but they no longer get to hurt us.  Those we love can hurt us in ways that are unimaginable and can be the ones to cause our hearts to split but with the courage we have we can keep right on marching towards wholeness