The Worth of my Proof

 There are a thousand messages telling us of what it will take to make us acceptable, worthy of being counted, of being awarded a contract or job or presence.

Constantly having to prove our lives are counted as one good enough to care if we live or breathe.

I have been thinking a lot about it.

Perhaps it is the time of year, October is a month of reckoning and loss, of changes and remembering.

How long does one pay a price to be alive in the world?

Just the other day, I was musing about the ways that social media has overtaken our lives and connections when it was supposed to be a way of connection. The problem, it became, seems to be the over exaggerated ways of our lives being worthy enough for likes, clicks, and views.

Is simply breathing and walking and being human enough to be among the cherished in the world?

When I think about the ways that human beings are with each other, I often think of the ways that we miss celebrating just the sheer essence of breathing in this world with seven million other uniquely made individuals. All with hopes and dreams and gifts and purpose.

When did it become not enough to simply be?

Placed in a position of constantly having to prove one’s worth is exhausting.

We are never going to be good enough or strong enough or smart enough or enough of enough to have enough proof for the ones who say we are not enough.

Here is a thought.

The proof of our worth is not in how many random people we may have met once in an undergrad lecture Hall randomly find us on the book or follow us on the gram, our proof is in the fact that we are human beings filled with all the wonder and possibilities of life.

When that sinks in, it doesn’t matter if anyone likes that awesome picture you posted, post it for yourself. You are not a commodity whose brand identity is tied up with how many moments of your existence you sell year over year.

It could be the changing seasons or the tide of life, or a page from my Generation Z daughters, but I am a bit tired of seeing all the amateur stunts becoming more and more outrageous for attention. 

Isn’t being alive good enough to be good enough?

If no one told you that, well, let me say it, it is enough.

Whether anyone else notices that it is not your problem.

Live and be free.

That is your proof.