the art of receiving

sky_skirt

it is a craft, i believe, to truly receive.
am i right here?

i always have found it funny
that the worst receivers of all
are the ones who give the most.

maybe its because we give others
what we need most,
or are not ready to make ourselves
vulnerable quite yet…

but when the shit hits the fan
and you are crumbled and broken,
the best thing you can do for yourself
is open your heart.

the broken heart is full of grief
but it is also full of light if you can
allow yourself to ask for help.

help comes in so many different forms~

it can come in a sweet new hairdresser
who massages your head longer than necessary,
laughs at your ridiculous stories
and brings you almonds and white wine.

it can come in the body of an 8 year old little girl
who tells you you look like a movie star when
your skin is blotchy pink from salty tears and you have
not brushed your hair in a week.

it can come in a soft bed with clean sheets
with white roses artistically placed on a night table.

it can come with strangers you have never met
who want effortlessly help you market just because
they want to.

it can come in a mix tape,
a painted rock with your name on it,
a book with special marked pages
and a pink tutu petticoat and red cowgirl boots.

it can come in a velvet red journal
that holds all your secret poems
that you wrote with your soul sister that summer
when you both decided to write to each other
instead of boys who did not appreciate them.

these gifts can spill out
wash over you
heal your heart
pick up the pieces and replace
the tears with a loud belly laugh.

but the trick is you need to ask,
and then you need to allow
yourself to be seen in your most fragile state.

i think it is a pretty fair
trade off.

21 Comments so far

Thank you, Mccabe. I’m in need of receiving some love right now, and it’s hard for me to ask for it. It’s for me, even, to receive the words you’ve written here about it. But I appreciate the wisdom, and I will hold it close to me as my heart takes it in and learns how to open just a little bit more to receive it.

pure beauty

Ah, McCabe, this completely slayed me. Just laid me out. Beautiful, beautiful. Thank you.

Oh… you’ve done it again.

beautiful – lovely – tender – miss you – sending you love and bursting with color xoxo

once again, mccabe…your sweet words have taken my breath away!

God bless the hairdressers of the world. When we are at our lowest point they make us feel beautiful. How do they do it everytime? And the longer than usual scalp massage is like winning the lotto when youre down in the dumps. Right here with you my lil mer-warrior…..keep on truckin’ Love U! Angie

so. very. lovely.

You are such a treasure!! Your words are so honest, whimsical, & wise. I so love reading them. xoxo, ~ M.

i know you know i know what you’re talkin’ about! let me buy you a glass of wine (or two!) and then we’ll share some giggles! love you!
XO

right on, sista.

As a lousy receiver, I have to remind myself that it is part of a circle … by giving, I receive and when I receive, I am giving. Like you say, sometimes we give what we want/need most. So I try to remember that when someone is offering to help me: maybe they too are in need and by accepting their assistance we both can be healed.

omg YES! YES YES YES!
This is such a beautiful post, mccabe!
I am a recovering over-giver-and-resistant-receiver and this resonates so much with me. I think that for people like us, it is actually an act of courage to let other people love us because in doing so we are actually loving ourselves too and that is a powerful, beautiful thing. xoxox

your words make me weep…im the worst receiver but such a giver…too scared to receive…why, i dont know…being vunerable is a very very scary thing for me…i delight in the ways you describe help…i will be trying hard today to allow it find me

yes, yes, yes~ i’m in a new relationship that’s pushing me (ever so sweetly) to accept and receive. i grew up with a mother who gave and gave and gave, and i’ve done the same, so to let someone cook dinner for me and call me his dream girl is a pretty wonderful and welcome challenge. thank you for this post, dearie~

so lovely. thank you. i am still learning to trust and receive. hard but worth the work and scary leaps of faith.

thank you for keeping your heart open. it heals so many, more than you know.
love you like crazy <3

Hi McCabe! Wow I sooooooooo needed to hear that today! Thanks again! All the very best that fairy dust sprinked over you can muster! M

ask.ing
and
allow.ing
. . .

Your words are powerful. You touch my heart – my soul sister.
much love always.

I somehow dont agree with a few things, but its great anyways.

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the art of receiving

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