I don't know

People often look to me for answers and many times the one answer I can give them, the only honest answer I have, is to admit "I don't know." I don't how things will turn out and I don't know when this will be over and I don't know what the future will look like. Some people think "I don't know" is a cop-out. I think it's a promise .

It's a promise that while I may not have the answers now, I will work with you to find them. It's a promise that I may not be able to determine the future but I can work to make it the best it can be. It's a promise that I may not be able to solve your problem, but I will stand by you and hold your hand and help you on your way.

People are often afraid to admit that they don't know, that they don't have everything under control, that they are not as perfect as what their life seems from the outside looking in. But admitting you don't know is honest. Admitting you don't know makes you vulnerable but approachable. Admitting you don't know allows others to come into your life, to come to your assistance, to come with you on your journey. No one expects you to know the answers to all of life's questions, and isn't finding out the answers most of the fun? Isn't not knowing and struggling to find out and struggling to make sense of it all the whole reason we're here? And isn't having someone by your side along the way the most delicious way to enjoy the ride anyway?

So next time you feel the need to put up your walls and to put on a brave face, stop. Maybe instead of acting like you've got it under control when it feels like everything is falling apart, you can admit to being unsure, to being afraid, to not knowing. Maybe when you tell someone you don't know and they offer you their help and their hand and their heart, you can say "yes" and "thank you" and allow them that warm and wonderful feeling of being needed. Maybe by admitting you don't know, you open the door for someone to come inside, to see you for who you are, and to allow them to be who they are in return. Admitting you don't know is turning a key and opening a door to allow another to come in. Say "I don't know", ask for help, take an offered hand, and start together to look for the answer.

After all, this is the life.
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