Sunday Reflections: Strong in the Broken Places

A less than desirable situation that can happen when one moves back to a town where one has lived before is occasionally running into an old boyfriend. Making that less than desirable situation even worse is running into that old boyfriend after having had the flu all week and after not having washed your hair for three days or your face for two, and wearing a sweatshirt over the T-shirt you slept in the night before -- which is what I did today.  Of course, most people would never go out in that situation but I can easily slip in and out without being recognized because I've doubled my weight and stopped coloring my hair since I've lived here.

Yet when I saw my old beau and his wife, someone I've known even longer than him and, if my memory serves me correctly, I introduced.....I didn't see any reason not to speak. I wanted to say hello.  After our brief conversation, I finished shopping with this amazing, somewhat unfamiliar feeling. 

I was immediately reminded of how much I've changed and grown since that relationship; how much I've been through, good and bad; and, how incredibly strong I can be even when I really make a mess of things. I walked out of the store with a smile on my face and my head held high. It was a wonderful feeling. Either that or I was possibly still somewhat delerious from my illness, although I don't think that was it.

I was reminded of the Hemingway quote on my banner above: the world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.  When you've had the flu and you've felt alone and your fever convinces you that you'll die alone and no one will know or possibly even care and the only food your cats will have is your unwashed face to snack on until you're discovered by the apartment pest control guy..... you get a little reminder that you are just fine.  In fact, you are better than fine.  Realizing that you are happy with yourself and your life is worth running into an old boyfriend every now and then when your nose is running or when, considered even worse by those two, you're buying bacon, God forbid!