the heart as it is | courage • grief • beauty

Today’s prompt from Onsite is “Reflecting on your fears about opening up to others – what supports those fears? Are they coming from yourself or the actions of those around you?”

The previous prompt I responded to – prompt 19 – were these fears about opening up to others. I usually do open up to people closest to me – my husband, close friends, and mentors. I also may open up to people I look up to, not only people of authority, but people I admire as I have observed them over an extended length of time. All of these people, although not perfect, have demonstarted emotional safety with me for a long time.

Consequently, the only fear I can really discuss, which I don’t consider a fear but someone else may beg to differ (which is valid as well), is opening up to people I don’t know well. I think it is wise to only share bits of yourself until you know someone well and over a certain amount of time. I think my past friendships and relationships have supported these ‘fears’, and it has been a mix of the actions of those who used to be around me, and myself.