Don't apologise for what you have

It was fortunate that when I travelled to London last November I had chosen Brené Brown's Daring Greatly as my plane reading. Visiting my brother who had recently been diagnosed with grade 4 brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme) while half-way through my 2nd pregnancy was not something I had anticipated. Having previously listened to her audiobook The Gifts of Imperfection, I messaged my brother a quote from it after his surgery. I hoped by explaining that ordinary courage is about vulnerability that he would open up and share his fears.

"We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known." Brené Brown

I knew that being vulnerable with my brother could bring us closer together and I intended to do just that. What I wasn't prepared for was how much I wanted to share the excitement of expecting another baby, one which had taken much time and effort to conceive (more about that in a future post). But how could I express my joy when my brother's whole world had just turned upside down? It seemed insensitive and selfish and so I held back, trying not to talk about it too much.

Then I came across this passage in Daring Greatly that totally changed my perspective.

"Don't apologise for what you have. Be grateful for it and share your gratitude with others." Brené Brown

Of course, just be true to myself!