I have social anxiety and random bouts struggling with agoraphobia….but I absolutely love people, the outside world, interacting with others. I have sensory deprivation issues where it can be so extreme that the sound of my own eating really gets on my nerves, I gag with a small bite of carrot cake in my mouth (too many different textures) or I find pork rotten because I’m sensitive to the adrenaline released at the time of death of an animal in fear… but I love music and the sense of hearing, the way a good dry piece of roast tastes in my mouth and if you took the carrot cake apart, all of those ingredients are simply divine and must be savored with your eyes closed and a moan of “this flavor is beyond heaven”. I have clinical depression and at times it seems debilitating and like it will be the death of me…but without it I could never see the true beauty of life, I would never see the light and how pure and peaceful it is. Without these dark parts of my life, I would never be the abstract thinker who falls in love with life, kind/honest/quirky people, nature, and the teachings of Jesus the way I’ve been blessed and privileged to fall in love. What you might feel is a burden in your life, may actually be your greatest blessing. Take a breath and reframe it. Then give thanks for that beautiful curse that’s truly your own unique gift.