The toll of seeing what’s unacceptable looms large. This post is aimed more specifically than most. It is not for those who find it easy to accept what’s put in front of them at face value, go with the flow, and find the best in everything. This post is for those who see and tell the truth amidst dysfunction because it is who they are.
We grow up filling certain roles within our families. Sometimes those roles vary over time. But there seems to be a class of folks who early on see dysfunction and refuse to participate. They question. They don’t enable. They instinctively don’t divulge personal details or engage with manipulative behavior. They know when parents are lying even if that lie is just how the parent feels about what they’re saying.
All children are willing to speak truth that is socially unacceptable for adults to voice, but truth seers go beyond that. Truth seers understand manipulation before they know the word. They know violence and abuse are wrong, sometimes before they can verbally describe the terms. They often recognize subtle hypocrisy and bias.
If you are one of those children who has grown into an adult, you are well suited to meet difficult moments. You’re able to sort through information and discern the best steps for you to thrive. Bucking your family’s traditions in order to keep yourself healthy is most likely a simple extension of behavior you routinely embrace.
What can we possibly offer you?
The knowledge that we see your courage as you hold positions supported by science, history, and experience in the face of a majority that disparages those positions. The understanding that it can be lonely and exhausting to continue to hold the line against popular myths and deliberate gaslighting. The assurance you are not alone
We know your sense of loss and the grief it brings. We know the feeling of futility that can momentarily overwhelm. And we know your resilience.
You are poised to be an agent of change. You meet the moment. You sustain yourself and better the rest of us.
We do not doubt your intentions when you tell us hard truths. We will consider observations that make us uncomfortable and offer a chance to explore our beliefs and motivations.
We won’t abandon you over something minor, and we reserve the right to adjust, rethink, and counterargue when we find your truth at odds with ours.
We recognize what is true for us may not be true for you. We know you understand this. And we know you see vastly larger truths that affect us all.
We stand in solidarity with truth seers, truth speakers, and brave leaders who support good health, compassionate lives, and a dedication to the betterment of ourselves, our communities, and our world. We want you to thrive so that all of us can thrive.
Thank you for travailing the loneliness and isolation of standing against waves of misinformation, mischaracterization, and general wisdom that isn’t wise at all.
Seeing unacceptable truths is hard. Disparaging you and the truth you represent is also unacceptable.