Friday, October 2, 2009

The Many Faces of Diva


    Searching for the 'Truth' this week while following the Joy Diet I found myself realizing that I wear many masks. I dare say that most of us do. There are so many facets to who I am and so many parts that make up the whole Diva. Depending on where I may be or in whose company I am I carefuly select my mask and proceed to be the person that I need to be in that given moment. Sometimes a friend, sometimes a mother or a wife. There are times I am called to be a mediator or a teacher. Today I may be called to be a pillar of strength for someone, other times I am a bowl of limp noodles without structure. Sometimes a 'nice' person and sometimes someone with a stronger backbone when dealing with confrontation. You can well imagine that I have a whole arsenal of masks to get me through the day, don't you?
   Are the masks in of themselves a problem? That was where my search for the truth led me this week, to reveal my true identity to myself. I have realized that each of these faces makes up the whole of who I am, each one placing me in character for the scene in which I am cast. The masks are not  a problem per se, they serve a purpose. The lies, or opposite of truth, only occurs when I see myself as one 'character' and not a culmination of all  of them. Some masks, from my youth have been discarded as they became obsolete, still others wait for me to discover new aspects of myself.
   There are times when I don a certain mask to hide from something I may not want to face, or when I am hiding a part of myself  from someone else. That can be a problem. Does everyone I encounter need to see all the characters I play? Probably not, but I do need to be more honest with myself and with those I love. I need to be able to show them more of who I am, of course only God knows every aspect, even better than I know my self.
   When I began this journey of blogging I had a very different idea of what this space would mean for my life. Originally I set out to share my love of art and sewing with like minded people. It has become much more than that, it is a place where friendships have formed, where I share my faith and where I share my demons.
   This blog has been a safe place to open up what's in my heart and to be able to take off the masks. I hope that it will serve as a way for my sons to know the heart of me in ways that may not have otherwise been possible. It has enabled me to see that my parents were more than just my view on who they were. They were human beings doing the best they could and struggling with their own issues. Family members are more than what I see, they have hidden truths that are theirs alone. I hope that in searching for my own truth I will be more compassionate about the truth of others.
  

21 comments:

  1. Diva, well said. I too have many masks. This past year I have had to deal with them as well as other people's masks. I had to de-clutter my masks and face some truths about myself. Many a mask got thrown into the trash. Still have some work to be done on my masks...and The Lord is showing me the way. Thank you for the post...and realizing that I am not alone.
    Have a beautiful weekend.

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  2. This is a wonderful introspective post. Growing older does help us to see our parents in a different light, doesn't it? Everyone has many roles they play, many secrets, many masks.

    I'll be thinking about this post for quite a while. I'll be wondering how my children and husband see me, and knowing that I don't know all about them, either.

    Like you, my blog has changed as I have changed. I've found that blogging helps me document those changes and helps me to look back and see if I'm moving forward or getting stuck.

    I wish you all the best in all you do, and in all the roles you play.

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  3. Diva. You expressed so elequently what I think many of us, especially someone my age, is starting to understand. I wish I could understand,accept myself and live up to the limitless possibilities that God has given me. I think it would be amazing to understand 1/10th of what our lives are all about.
    Thank you for sharing and have a fun Friday...Tracy :)

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  4. You have a way with words and thoughts. Very nice job.

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  5. you have been blessed with such a wonderful spirit of expression! i just love reading your posts, diva....and i thank you for your courage in sharing your heart with us! xoxox, :))

    p.s. i sent you an e-mail....:)

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  6. I love the way that you approached truth and the many faces. Thank you so much for sharing.

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  7. Thank you for the wonderful post re: truth and the masks you wear, that I know I wear also.

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  8. wonderful insight you are offering here!

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  9. I am both genius and learning disabled, fierce and multi-faceted. Our masks protect us from the truth that we are fragile and human.
    Great post.

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  10. The was very good. I like how you use the mask as an example of all we are made of. This was very thought provoking. Thank you.
    And thanks for stopping by. See ya next week.

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  11. Ohh yes masks ....I also call them "versions of myself" ....sometimes I outgrow a version and discard it ...I am in the process (always) of becoming the best version of myself that I can be.

    Love your blog and you.

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  12. Thanks for sharing your truth this week.
    I believe I have a few masks up my sleeve also.
    I agree with you about blogging. Yourself and the other bloggers have been so warm and supportive, it brightens my heart. Thank you for being you!

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  13. I like the thought, that masks are not the problem, only if you think one part of you is all you have to offer.
    Take care!

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  14. What an interesting post. I love your view on the truth! You've expressed so beautifully how I feel as well, and have given me a great insight in myself and others. Thank you!

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  15. Masks- yes- masks I love it. Thank you for sharing.

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  16. Very well said! I know we all wear masks. It is hard sometimes to take them off and even harder sometimes to realize we are wearing them.

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  17. Hello! I found you over at Lori Vliegen's blog. This is such an insightful, honest post. Thank you for being willing to share.

    I've struggled with this for most of my life--trying to put on the mask I thought everyone else wanted, or trying to become what I always thought I should be...all the while, hiding who I really was. Recently, I've gotten much better at realizing that I AM who God made me to be--and that shouldn't be hidden.

    Thank you again... and have a wonderful weekend. :)

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  18. Ah, Diva, yes, we do share the thought of masks or roles, and how complex things become when we consider that everyone around us also has their own masks. And the masks do have their purposes - as you say, it's just important to know when we're using them and what's really getting closer to us, to the being we were created to be.

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  19. Masks, can help. But this book strips away the mask if we let it.

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  20. Hi Diva,
    I received the Joy Diet book this week and plan to begin today or tomorrow. It's apparent you're doing the work because your self introspection is clear and concise.
    I think of masks as hats, not disguises and in my world we all wear many, out of necessity. ( But I haven't read the book yet.)
    I'm betting that if we lived closer, we could discuss this topic alone for hours!
    Hi Ceil! Did she get her results? She is literally in my thoughts and prayers.

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  21. How nice to find a blogger friend who is not too far from me geographically!

    Very insightful post. I think being aware that we wear the masks is an important part of the process. Then we begin to ask ourselves why. I know from masque acting classes that masks allow us to hide but they can also allow us to open & release parts of ourselves we might not otherwise be able to explore. Examining our masks, why we wear them and what they reveal or hide is an wonderful way to discover our truth. Thank you for this honest and thought provoking post.

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