The Late Bloom

She was slow in coming to herself… A late bloomer as they say. Too shy as a child… Scared. She walked quietly and softly. Afraid of setting off the emotional physical bombs that could explode at any moment for any reason… A ghost, perhaps? Her innocence lost too soon, the shrapnel leaving ugly, jagged scars upon her tender being. She chose, more often than not, to be alone.

Who would want to look at her? Who would want to be her friend? Save those few brave souls; those loving beings, who saw in her something she couldn’t quite see in herself. For the most part she lived as she was expected. Found a job, got married, had children, bought a house. She learned to be social and make friends. Love as best as she could. But, she never felt safe to reveal her true essence, the depth, the width, the breadth of her soul. So, love was always broken even before it was broken.

Deep inside her was a longing to be free, to be beautiful. Only in time did she begin to see the scars not as horrifying reminders of her ugliness but of battles she survived. Each one a sign not only of victory but a testament to her will to survive, her strength, her resilience, and maybe, just maybe her beauty. Yes, she was slow in coming to herself but once she had done so, her soul was ablaze with a light and love of life that shone in her sparkling eyes and flowed from her being.

– Terri McDaniel

Mother, daughter, sister, minister, healer, intuitive, artist, writer, sometimes Terri thinks she wears too many hats. As a native of Huntsville, AL. she has grown to appreciate diversity. Terri believes while it is true that we often seek out those who are similar it is learning to honor, accept, experience our differences that lead us to higher understanding and compassion both within ourselves and our community. She adds, “Snow is snow but each snowflake unique.”