Welcome to the Human Race

“I’ve always believed that there was a certain age after which I would be all well and I’d stop feeling as if I’d been abandoned here on earth with no explanation.” –Anne Lamott, Grace (Eventually)

Growing up is a long, difficult process. I recall longing, as a child, to be an adult. The idea of freedom drew me, as well as the idea that I could arrive at an age when I would no longer be confused, when I’d have the answers, have life figured out. This magical time has yet to arrive. I’m fifty-two and I’ve given up waiting.

Once I gave up on the idea of arriving, I discovered a deeper freedom than the one I’d imagined as a child. What I discovered was a profound acceptance of my own humanity. The human condition is, by nature, confusing. “I don’t know” is my favorite saying. I don’t know and I no longer need to know. I don’t know everything, nor do I know nothing. We’re all somewhere in between. Rather than thinking I lack something because I get confused or have times when I feel inadequate or profoundly alone, I now welcome myself to the human race. “Welcome to the human race!” I say to myself. I don’t need fixing. And with that thought, surprisingly, I am free. 

© 2015 Janet Tuck