Be Yourself

On the door of a bathroom stall at a favorite cafe,

there is this message, pictured above.

I had been trying on lots of labels for a while,

thinking that I needed to be this way or that way

in order to live rightly.

The Spirit intervened and has been redeeming:

redeeming me, and who I've always been,

redeeming who I need to be,

the real me

hidden beneath all the layers,

coming back to life again.

Again, I read the message, clearly

plain and simply stated,

on the wall of another bathroom

at a new favorite place

where my kids and I rollerskated

and they bounced on inflatables

and we all had fun, such fun.

And the vision is of me

and these layers being peeled off

of the masks I tried on for a while,

and underneath is me,

head tilted back

waterfall rushing over,

and I am at peace.

There is more writing on the wall

at this favorite cafe

a Dr. Seuss reminder:

"Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...  get on your way!"

And I am utterly convinced

that I need to be myself,

and that you need to be yourself...

that every single person needs to be Who They Are,

and that we need each other to be unique

because there are things that only we can see

and experiences that only we can live,

and we need each other desperately

to bring forth into the world

what individual gifts

have been crafted into us only.

Be yourself -

you're the only you there is,

and I am the only me.