Fall has settled over Door County in the loveliest way. The maples are glowing in shades of gold and red, the air has turned crisp, and leaves have begun to drift to the ground. This week, I’ve been thinking about the walls we build to protect our peace, and how we decide who gets to step inside.
It's easy to have your guard up. Most of us have been hurt at some point. Maybe it was a friend who hurt us, or someone who broke your trust in ways that still sting. Pain like that changes us. And before I say anything else, I want you to hear this: protecting yourself is not wrong. Your peace is precious. You're allowed to guard it, and you should.
But here's what I've been sitting with: sometimes the walls we build to keep the hurt out end up keeping everything else out too. The kindness. The connection. The people who would have loved us, if only we'd let them in.
Not everyone is the person who hurt you. That one person doesn't get to decide how the rest of your story goes or speak for every kind person who will show up with an open heart. There are good people out there, people who will keep their word and hold your heart gently. So many of them are right here in this community, and your kindness reminds me every week that opening up is worth it.
So this week, I'm holding onto this truth, and I hope you will too: we don't have to choose between protecting ourselves and staying open. We just need a gate instead of a fortress, something that keeps us safe but still lets the right people walk through. You hold the key. You get to decide when to use it. Just don't forget to use it.
You are worthy of protection. And you are worthy of connection. Both can be true at the same time.
Thank you for being here every Sunday and for being such a bright spot in my life. I'm grateful for each of you, more than you know.
💛 Christiana
