We Are Not Alone

As I made a fresh batch of black bean sauce with noodles for dinner over the weekend, I began listening to Demi Moore's recently released memoir, Inside Out.

Chopping through onions, carrots, and green cabbage, I felt such a strong emotional connection to her feelings from childhood.  By the time I had put noodles into salted boiling water, I was silently sobbing for Demi as I felt the weight of her feelings of being on her own as a child.

In that moment, it occurred to me that what all of us need most as growing children is the feeling that our parents care more about our well-being than anything that they have going on in their lives.

In Demi's case, she went from being chronically and dangerously neglected to being sold for $500 as a 15-year old.  To read her account of all she has learned about herself and life through the many ups and downs that she has experienced over decades left me with admiration and gratitude for who she is and for sharing so openly of her life.

Many of us carry wounds through our adulthood because we can feel in our hearts that we were unwanted, born to be accessories, expected to be shiny trophies, and looked upon merely as a source of financial security.

Sometimes, desperately needed catharsis can come simply from knowing that another person in the world shares a similar experience and the feelings that surround it.  Let's remember that there is immense power in sharing of ourselves when we feel the safety and calling to do so.

Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore