the best advice

i have this friend.
her name is karen.
i was talking to her today.
i was sharing some of my insecurities.
i was prefacing each one with a phrase about how stupid it was that i felt that way
or how silly it was that such a small thing felt so big.
as the tears started flowing,
and as i shared the last juicy tidbit,
she looked at me with kind eyes,
understanding eyes,
and said "it's not silly to me."
that was all it took.
"it's not silly to me."
that could have been one of the most tender things someone has ever said to me.
perhaps my "silly" things have only been silly to me and not silly to the people who care about me.
i will remember that each time my child (or anyone for that matter) brings something to me.
it's so easy to want to offer advice, solve the problem, or try to prove all the reasons that something "silly" just isn't so.
i'll not start there anymore.
instead i'll share the kind of love and concern that says everything about you is important to me.
thanks, karen, for letting me see that my "silly" things are actually really important things.