Receiving Love ~

Healing has a funny way of arriving through circumstances we never would have chosen.

Earlier this year, I broke my right ankle. Like most people, I compensated without thinking, relying heavily on my left leg while my ankle slowly healed. Then, as soon as I was cleared to walk again, I was eager to reclaim my routine. I worked my way back to the treadmill, determined to return to my goal of walking 15,000 steps each day.

Looking back, I probably returned too quickly.

Three weeks ago, my left knee became swollen and painful. When the discomfort continued to worsen, I found myself sitting in the emergency room wondering whether I had developed a blood clot.

Thankfully, I had not.

Instead, I learned that I had developed a Baker's cyst, likely caused by the extra strain my left leg had been carrying. The treatment has been far less dramatic than I had hoped.

Rest. Ice. Compress. Elevation. Patience.

If you know me, you know patience has never been my strongest gift when it comes to myself. Patient with others, absolutely. So, as frustrating as the diagnosis has been, I was reminded of how much my daughters care. My daughters called. They checked in. They worried. They wanted updates. As I listened to their concern, I found myself unexpectedly emotional.

Even though they are busy raising young children, caring for their husbands, building careers, and creating lives of their own, I still matter to them. That probably sounds obvious. But trauma has a way of convincing us otherwise.

When your earliest experiences teach you that your needs come second, those messages have a remarkable ability to linger. Even decades later, they quietly whisper that asking for help is a burden or that needing care somehow makes you less worthy. My daughters have gently challenged that belief for years. This experience simply reminded me again.

I recently read an article from the American Psychological Association describing how early experiences shape the beliefs we carry about ourselves and our relationships. The encouraging reminder was that healthy, caring relationships help reshape those old beliefs over time. We do not erase the past, but we can experience ourselves differently through the consistent love of others.

As I reflected on that article, I realized that healing is not only about learning new coping skills. Sometimes healing is allowing ourselves to receive the love that has been quietly surrounding us all along. Perhaps that has been one of God's gentlest lessons for me.

To stop measuring my worth by what I produce. To stop believing I must always be the strong one. To simply receive love when it is freely given. Maybe that is what healing looks like, too.

Has someone ever reminded you of your worth at a time when you had forgotten it yourself? I would love to hear your thoughts.

Kindly,

~ Julie

If you feel so inclined, please reply with your thoughts.

Note: JM Lane is NOT a mental health professional, nor does she carry a license to practice medicine. Posts, blogs, and content are based on JM Lane's personal experiences, perceptions, and reflections. By no means does any material convey what others should or should not do.

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