10.05.2012

Five Minute Friday: Welcome


Five minute Friday is a regular feature on Lisa-Jo Baker's Blog. Take five minutes, write about the topic of the week, and support the five minute Friday community.

WELCOME.

GO.

I cannot think of welcome without thinking of this Shel Silverstein poem that I have memorized:

AN INVITATION
If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire,
For we have some flax golden tales to spin.
Come in!
Come in!

No one really believes that they can be accepted unconditionally. Sure, we all want to believe that everyone loves us, despite our flaws and failures. The reality is, however, that we don't allow people to welcome us in because we don't welcome ourselves in.

How many times have you stood on the outside, just beyond the door, waiting to be invited in? How many times have you thought, rationally or not, that if someone knew you, really knew you, their welcome would be rescinded? How many times did you allow your own fear to stifle your welcome?

We all need a place where we feel like we can accomplish what we're supposed to do while we're here. We need a friend that will accept us, welcome us, warts and all into their world. I have a few of those friends. Their love is what guides me through my own selfishness and convinces me that I can do it, I can be something more, I can be welcome.

There are two forces constantly at battle within me - the force that says no one really knows you, no one welcomes you into their life, and the larger, brighter, louder voice that assures me I am loved. I am cherished. I am welcome, just as I am, into a story that is so much bigger, so much stronger, and so much brighter than I could ever imagine.

So welcome, dreamers, hope-ers, wishers, lovers...you are welcome in my world. I hope I am welcome in yours!

STOP.

2 comments:

  1. Great words, Emily!!! Just stopping by from Five-Minute Friday and sending some blog love your way. Thank you so much for sharing your words. Bonus points for using that fabulous Shel Silverstein poem to illustrate your thoughts!! :)

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  2. I love Shel Silverstein! My favorite poem of his is this:

    There are too many kids in this tub
    There are too many elbows to scrub
    I just washed a behind I'm sure wasn't mine
    There are too many kids in this tub.

    :-)

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