Tammy Letherer 
Happy Holidays! I receive regular emails from a wonderful resource called The Daily Flame. They arrive like love letters full of guidance and inspiration from my “inner pilot light.” The one I got this week was so sublimely perfect and expresses my sentiments so well that I decided to share it here.
Consider this a sort of Santa swap, where I’m re-gifting these words to you:
Dearest friend,
You have a right to tell your story. Your story belongs to you. Nobody else. Nobody ever has the right to tell you that your story doesn’t matter.
People might try to dismiss you or press down your story with spiritual bypassing techniques like “It’s only a story.” Yes, it’s true that your stories are sometimes distortions of the truth. It’s true that your wounding can influence your perception. It’s true that if there was a video camera documenting what “really” happened, your memory of what happened might not match the documentation of consensus reality.
Your family might tell you to keep quiet so you don’t ruin anyone’s reputation. They might reject you if you tell your story, not because you’re not lovable, but because they can’t handle their own pain. Your boss might tell you your job is at risk. Your church might threaten to kick you out. All of these outcomes are regrettably possible.
But still . . . still darling, you must tell your story to at least one person.
Other people’s discomfort with the story that feels true in your own heart has no right to silence you. Their fears, shame, or rage do not diminish your right to feel what you feel, express what you must, and be heard, believed, and validated by those you can trust.
Your story is your story, and you have a right to tell it. Tell it to the people who can hold you safe. Tell it to those who have stories like yours. Tell it to the people with big bear hugging arms. Tell it to your dog or your cat or a redwood tree.
Your voice needs to be heard. You are brave. You are strong. You are resilient. You can handle what might happen if you tell your story.
Keep in mind you don’t have to loop your story forever. You might tell it a few times, feel the feelings it evokes, and your story might be ready to let you loose. But you can’t skip this part. You are only as sick as your secrets. Telling your story can set you free.
Can’t find anyone else you can trust with the intimacy and vulnerability of your story? I am always here, ready to listen, holding you close to my own beating, bursting heart.
Loving you and your story, no matter what.
Your Inner Pilot Light
