Probably much like you, I have a huge pile of books on the nightstand beside my bed. They range from topics on business, marketing and finance to marriage, parenting and self discovery. I have good intentions of reading each and every one of them. I mean, I really want to know what they say inside, but alas, life keeps flying by and I rarely slow down long enough to dive in.
Until vacation.
On our flight here, I was determined to finish this one. I didn’t quite make it, but I made it far enough for it to shift a giant piece of my heart. It brought me a new perspective and a new hope.
It’s like a sweet song of freedom from social norms and expectations.
It’s written in tandem, by a mother and her “out of the box” son. Together they weave a story, back and forth, of their recollections and learnings from his growing up years. It’s a beautiful melody of acceptance, contentment and eventually celebration, of the way each of us is made uniquely, with our own gifts and talents. Our own song.
“Each of us has a song God has placed inside of us – one that is unique, unlike anyone else’s. We my try to ignore our songs, straining to hear and dance to others that look more inviting or socially acceptable. But on and on our song will play, always inviting us back to move to our own music.” ~ Nathan Clarkson
It taps into the very meaning of HeartStories.
Our differences are what make each of us valuable. They are not mistakes or shortcomings. They are our songs. They are what make us most capable and uniquely suited to serve the world.
So whether you love someone who feels a little bit “out of the box” or whether you’ve always felt just a little bit different yourself, this one is for you today. Take hope. Take joy.
Accept the invitation to move to your own music.
And pave the way to acceptance for the ones you love as well. We need all of the beautiful songs to continue to play. Let us never let them be snuffed out by “social norms” and situations that make us comfortable.
Let’s all dance to our own music, together.
to more love,
Crystal
P.S. If you have a child who struggles because he or she doesn’t exactly fit the mold of society’s expectations, even if you just happen to know or love anyone who seems a bit “out of the box”, I highly recommend this incredible book. Especially if you have always felt a little bit different or out of the box yourself, you’ve gotta get this book on your nightstand. Different, The Story of an Outside-The-Box kid and the Mom Who Loved Him.
