Today I am reminded of the importance of hats. When we are blessed to enter this world, we serve few roles for others.  Our existence is dependent on those who care for us.  We do not feel guilty or inadequate for requiring exhausting amounts of help and nurturing.  We simply exist to feel joy and avoid pain.

As our journey continues, we find ourselves in a deeper awareness of our impact on those around us.  We learn to become siblings, children, and friends.  We learn that different people expect different things from us.  We still want to feel joy and avoid pain, but every year we age we feel more responsible for the joy and pain of others. 

This week I found myself struggling with all the hats this world has given me.  I felt surrounded by need, yet never able to accomplish what the present moment was asking of me.  This is the pattern that quietly and quickly lets resentment and bitterness creep in.  If you are not careful, before you know it, the people and missions that mean the most to you will no longer bring you joy. 

I reflected on this overwhelming sense of what it means to wear different hats all day, every day, expecting yourself to never let anyone down.  You see a hat is designation of roles.  It is a symbol of what you are expected to be at that moment.  It is nothing more than a concept that you have created for yourself.  And sometimes our hats become heavy with pressure, causing our heads to fall, letting our gaze hit the floor.  We stop serving others.  We start serving roles.  We start serving ideas.  We start serving ourselves with thoughts that numb or punish.

Today I tell you that when your hat feels heavy take it off!  Look at it and say, “What REALLY matters at this time? Who am I serving if I cannot serve myself grace and compassion?  Maybe being human is the only hat we need.  Maybe if we allow ourselves to be that child again and (without shame) ask for help, cry when we need to, and laugh just because we feel like it, we will disrobe ourselves of titles and roles and just fall into our humanity.