Especially the unpleasant ones.
At the slightest hint of distress, my mind has trained itself to squash down whatever thoughts or emotions were troubling me, and distract myself with something else.
Sometimes this is a very effective coping strategy.
But often, it's not.
I end up what Neil refers to as 'a shaken Coke bottle' ready to explode. Except instead of exploding, the internal stress just keeps building up.
Charlotte is not like that. She lets her emotions show.
This picture was taken on Sabbath morning a few weeks ago. Neil was taking photos of the girls before we left for church. Something happened to upset Charlotte, but he took the shot anyway.
Part of me looks at this heartbroken little face and wants to cry too. She looks so sad.
But I know that within a minute or two of this photo being taken, Charlotte was all smiles again. She had expressed her emotion and moved on.
I wonder how my life would be different if I allowed myself to really feel my emotions like that? It seems scary. But maybe it would actually be easier than holding onto them for so long.
I've had a long struggle with depression. It's not over yet.
That's a story for another day.
Suffice to say, the last few weeks I've been going through a glum patch.
But tonight I spoke to a very dear friend who is facing significant health concerns. She faces these challenges with courage and optimism. I never hear her complain. Her life (both personally and professionally) is devoted to helping others. She truly is an inspiration.
Talking to her has reminded me of all I have to be thankful for.
My feelings are important. They are there for a reason. They deserve to be experienced and expressed.
It's time for me to take a leaf from my daughter's book and (appropriately) let them out.
That should stop them morphing into mountains they don't need to be.
