Do you believe that everyone you meet has a lesson for you to learn on your journey?
I do too. If you answered no, I’d really like to chat with why you don’t think so, because I think that especially the people we DON’T get along with probably have the most to teach us. But this post isn’t about them, this post is about Grace.
Grace is a 21-year-old, dancing, singing, meditation, loves with her whole heart, punk-rocker with long hair, glasses and a style no one can pull off but her. I’m talking white tube top, leopard print bra straps and plaid pants ripped up. Grace is a busser where I work and she’s pretty amazing.
In the two months she’s worked there, she’s been busted for drinking on the job, found meditating on the pallet downstairs, swimming in the brook that runs beneath the building and found smoking at the tiki. All this while being clocked in.
Grace has down syndrome.
We share a common interest in punk music and Alice Cooper. I was talking about how much I love Alice Cooper when she unzipped her hoodie and showed me she was wearing is concert t-shirt. She’s pretty awesome. When we found out that she was drinking on the job and she was confronted on it, she said, I’m 21 I can drink. Hard to argue with that…
She often feels like the paparazzi is after her and will ask us not to tell anyone she working. She’ll arrive in one outfit, no make up and depending on who is working with her she’ll go into the bathroom and completely change. As in, LOTS of skin showing and brighter than blood lips.
Not too long ago, we were working together and she confessed to me that she has feelings for our co-worker. Did I mention she has great taste? 🙂 I told her her secret was safe with me and I wouldn’t tell him. No less than 10 minutes later she found me and asked me to tell him she had feelings for him.
I said I would, thinking that I would wait until she left and casually mention it, but she didn’t want it to happen like that. She wanted me to tell him in front of her. After the eyes wide open, jaw to the floor expression subsided, I started thinking, what would my life be like if I would have lived it like Grace?
How would my relationships have differed if I would have been straight up front and honest instead of keeping my crushes silent, known only by my closest friends. It kind of makes you wonder if growth would have happened a lot faster. Sure, heart breaks would have been inevitable but on what level? Maybe the breaks would have been more like fractures if the crush was ended in the beginning rather than when it blossomed.
It’s hard to say, but makes you wonder how living your life out loud would change it. Hearts on sleeves for everyone to see. it almost sounds refreshing, liberating and courageous.
I fully believe that everyone is put on our path intentionally. I can’t help but think that Grace has SO much more to teach me or maybe I have wisdom for her…
Even though she works 15 feet away from her crush, I did tell him, right when she was watching. Our co-worker, gratuitously thanked her for sharing, said that he was flattered and continued working without making it awkward.
Namaste,
Jes xoxo