Let me tell you a story about what I've experienced. What alot of us have, for this story I will use the metaphor of a house to describe how we relate to our lives. This is for anyone who's ever felt hurt or violated beyond repair.
You live in a house that's perfect for you. It's cosy warm and comfortable, you take pride in your house. It's special because it belongs to you. One day you are bored and you decide you need to be more sociable, more open. So you decide to throw a house party. You invite everyone you know. You consider them all friends. They show up and the house is full, the music is loud and everyone seems to be having fun. All of a sudden these people start trashing your house. They think it's fun. You tell them to stop and nobody listens. They smash your windows, damage your furniture, break your kitchen wear and say horrible things about your house. Finally someone starts pouring oil and trying to set your house on fire. That's when enough is enough and you finally drive these awful people, who you thought were your friends out of your life. When they are all gone and the house is empty you are in shock. You can't believe what just happened, your house is completely trashed and you are left all alone to clean it by yourself. You feel hurt traumatised, betrayed. You feel like it's your fault. If you hadn't thrown a party and invited so many people, your house wouldn't be ruined.
You try to explain how you feel. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure you can replace the furniture" says your neighbour. Your other neighbour says "oh my god that's terrible, I don't know how you can live in that house. If that was me I would move."
Bottom line is your still living in your house. You notice that the people around you are still talking about it. "Oh my god! Did you hear what happened in that house?" They Chatter. You realise that none of these people can truly understand, what it's like to be in your shoes and be in your house. No one cares about your house as much as you do. You realise that even though your house is damaged, it is not ruined. It will take a long time to fix but you love your house and not only are you going to fix it. But you are going to renovate, to the point where your house is better that it ever was before. Your neighbours may doubt you, but you love and believe in your house and you are going to live in it, for the rest of your life.
It is easy to decide not to let anyone in, but after a while you become lonely again. Your house is looks better, but there is still some damage. Since that day you haven't really let anyone back in. No matter what you do, your house will never be exactly the same as it was before.
One day you decide that you will let a few people into your house. You take caution and let them know that they need to respect your house. They take their shoes off at the door. Everything is going fine until they accidently spill drinks on you floor. You get upset and tell them to leave while your start cleaning. "We are sorry" they tell you and they clean up their own mess. Your floor is good as new, when they leave. "Wow" you think to yourself "that's the first time someone has come to my house and cleaned up their own mess." The next day they come back with gifts. "We thought you would like a new lamp for your house" they grin. You are so excited, maybe your not alone, maybe there's people in the world, who do understand you. Who respect your house and love it almost as much as you do. They may make mistakes, but nothing is deliberate. They always find a way to fix it and make it up to you.
These are the type of people you are going to let in your house from now on. People who care and when they aren't around. Well, then you are just going to look after your house and enjoy it by yourself, because no one can love your house, better that you can and you can't let just anyone in. Your house is you and you are your house.
Even if it feels like your life is falling apart. You can always build yourself back up. Never accept defeat in the long term. x
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