i witnessed the power of vulnerability at a spoken word event on monday evening. the poet thanked the audience in advance for allowing her to read it, then delved into a beautiful, yet heartbreaking  true-to-life poem of love and loss. a few lines in, her voice shook and tears began to stream down her face. and then through different parts of it, the audience too started to tear up, sniffling echoing around and having a moment of solidarity.

what was interesting was that i bet each person in the audience were moved for different reasons and at different words. for some, they may have connected to losing someone in their life.  for others, they may have connected to the power of being loved and not knowing how to hold it in your hands. the rest… have reasons i will never know.

for me, it went beyond the beauty of the words. it was the raw honesty and vulnerability that came with it.  i felt an ache in my chest for the pain in the room and the pain in the world. but i didn’t want to reject that feeling, because it is what makes us human. i wanted to share it and take it from the poet, but i knew that she was making hers a journey and more beautiful because of it.

i am huge believer in strength residing in sharing things rather then keeping them in. but to go beyond and share outside of your immediate circle spreads that courage even more. because when you share, you unwittingly unlock the deepest of secrets, even if they remain unspoken. it makes someone feel less alone and plants the seed that perhaps vulnerability is okay or even necessary.

power to words. but power to those that are brave enough to speak them with truth.