Last week, I saw several Facebook status's that read "Me too". Every "me too" had a story behind it. Feelings....experiences...memories. As a couple of my friends went to visit a shelter set up for recovering victims of sex trafficking, I thought of all the "me too's" that were there. I can clearly remember my "me too" moments. The thing that I liked best about this campaign is that it allowed those who would have never otherwise said anything, to voice their experience. It takes courage. Vulnerability. All too often we want to keep our "me too" moments tucked away, but there are times when freedom comes with those two little words.
Tonight, I sat with two friends. One of them is going through a very rough time in life. As my other friend was trying to encourage her, she commented something along the lines of, "I can think of several times when I have felt with this way". What really triggered my attention was when she said, "Me too". How many times have we been in situations where our thoughts are "Me too"
Feeling empty and although you have nothing left to offer the world.....me too
Being so bitter than it seems like only hatred spews out......me too
Feeling alone in a world full of friends, acquaintances, and loved ones....me too
Being looked down upon because you have a certain opinion or viewpoint.....me too
Looking at your spouse and wondering why in the world you married them.....me too
Being gossiped about...me too
Looking in the mirror horrified at what you have become or the situation you are in....me too
Feeling like a failure and that you can't seem to get any area of your life together.... me too
Knowing what you want to do, but only doing what you hate.....me too
Being made fun of....me too
Being manipulated or controlled....me too
Being so overwhelmed and out of control you don't know which way is up...me too
The list could go on and on. No situation is the same, but we can relate to the feelings that others have. We can relate to their experiences. Sometimes, if we allow them to, these "me too" moments can bring us together as victims. Victims in the sense of now we can throw pity parties for each other, recounting all the horrible things that have happened to us. Victims in the sense of recounting all that we have missed out on and all that the world should owe us. If we really want our "me too" moments to mean something, have them bring us together into "Me too. It sucked. Let me walk through your me too moment with you" Let us have our "me too" moments bring us together to make us stronger. While we don't all share the same moments (hallelujah!), we are probably all connected by something. Let us have our "me too" moments help us to not become victims of our circumstances, but victors over the darkness we each experience. In all of our "me too" moments we have the opportunity to grow and become stronger and most importantly be there for those who need to know they aren't alone.
Finally, don't forget about those other "Me too" moments we need to share together:
That proud feeling you get when your kid makes the right choice when you weren't around to make them; when they chose to do it all on their own....me too
That ooey, mushy feeling that just makes you smile when you look at the one you married and can't imagine how you got to be so lucky.....me too
When you realize how loved you are by someone who decided that the world would be a better place with you in it....me too
The feeling you get when you give just a little of yourself to make someone else's day brighter...me too
When your stomach hurts from laughing with friends....me too
When you made it through the day and that was your biggest accomplishment....me too
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