Do not let the hard shell of your loved ones fool you.

Within the hard shell

a soft heart is residing.

The hard shell was necessary to protect their heart.

Our loved ones have survived due to

the protection of their hard shell.

They have survived,

 but may have forgotten the identity of who they really are

and the potential(s) hidden within them.

With the hard shell

emotional hurts can be blocked.

Your parents may have trained you to be like them.

As a sign of their love

they taught you to protect yourself like

they protected themselves.

You may have a tough shell like they do

 and you may resent it.

Perhaps, as a child,

expressing your emotions

was like walking on egg shells.

The hardest words for you may be

“I love you”

or

“I love myself”.

Saying, “I love you”

may be a sign of weakness in your family.

Saying, “I love you”

may create a fear of an expectation that

you are not able

to live up to.

Saying, ”I love you”

may create emotions within you that

you do not know how to cope with.

Do not allow yourself to be distracted

by their short falls.

It is your ego’s way of protecting itself.

Your ego may allow you to compromise,

letting you say the magic words

 over the phone

with your eyes closed,

or via an email.

Start by doing something.

Intend to crack open the hard shell.

Crack open the hard shell with

“I love you”

“Thanks for being there for me”

and

“I understand.”

The hard shell is ready to be cracked open.

Use the magic words.

Hear the cracking sound of your own shell.

You have stopped perpetuating the hiding of your heart.

Be hopeful

to hear their hard shell to crack as well.

Copyright . 2010 by Shervin Hojat