What you've taught me

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(So cheesy but kinda cute)

A strange thing has been happening lately. I’ve posted some more personal things recently and the response has been overwhelming. Now, let’s hold our horses for just a hot minute. By “response” I mean a handful of people. But that handful overwhelmed ME! I’m learning something about you sweet readers of this blog. You don’t necessarily care so much about the funny as you do the transparency.

This puts me in quite the pickle. See, the world feeds me the lie that I have to be funny for people to like me. So I try to play the funny card A LOT. Don’t misunderstand me; I think being funny is an awesome thing as long as it’s not being used as a mask or a crutch for likeability among your peers. I like to convince myself that people want to read funny stuff because life is so heavy already why would anyone want to read more of that? But God is using you readers to teach me something different, a greater truth perhaps. You guys have proved to me that funny’s ok but transparency is better. If I tell you a ridiculous canoeing story, you may chuckle a bit and move on. When I told you I had ulcerative colitis, several of you reached out and told me you did too or you knew someone that had it. These are the things that connect us. Those hard things that we go through and wish people would say “Me too!” when we tell them because those are the words that make us feel known. Those two little words have a lot of power and suggest we share a common bond. Thank you for all the “me too” moments you’ve shared with me.

I will do my best to continue to be real in this space and not just hide behind the funny. I will try to give you more of myself even when it’s hard; sometimes the real stuff is harder to put into words and can be emotionally draining. I will still post funny stories too because I don’t know if ya’ll have heard but life can be hilarious! So thank you sweet readers who have reached out to me with so many kind words. You have absolutely no idea how much they have meant to me. I’ve learned that people don’t have to say kind words so when they do, it is like a breath of life into my soul. Thank you for that.

Also, if any of you have any questions or just want to chat about UC feel free to email me at courtneypallen216@gmail.com. Or if you just want to say hi please pretty please shoot me an email!

-Courtney

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