My granddaughters have the best time on SnapChat looking at themselves with different “faces.” They laugh joyfully at their images as kittens and puppies and all sorts of silly masks like broccoli and strawberries. It’s wonderful hearing them roll with laughter.
We have all experienced, to one degree or another, the wearing of masks in our lives. I don’t mean the Halloween varieties, but the images we assemble and put on to show the world our importance and success.
We’ve been taught not to show weakness, vulnerability, or fear, so the image we project is one of strength and ability.
But in Chapter X, masks are no longer necessary. We can return to being who we truly are: vulnerable, confused, or otherwise imperfect. There’s a profound freedom in embracing who we are beneath the façade—who we were when we were innocent and unafraid to be ourselves.
I wonder how my granddaughters will view those little video clips of themselves in this wonderful, amazing, pure, and uninhibited state. Will they cringe and make their parents promise never to show them to anyone? Or will they cherish the simplicity and joy they felt in that moment? I hope they hold onto that joy for as long as possible.
I wonder how you, my friends, are navigating the removal of your masks and reaffirming the joy and freedom of just being you.
