Uncover the Mask

When I think of mask I think of something covering up your face and the poem, we wear the mask by Paul Laurence Dunbar comes to mind. The introductory words of the poem, “We wear the mask that grins and lies, It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,— This debt we pay to human guile; With torn and bleeding hearts we smile, And mouth with myriad subtleties.” 

How often do we wear mask to cover how we are truly feeling? We smile when we are hurting inside, sick, broken. I’ve been there, smiling to keep from crying or to prevent from someone asking the question, are you okay? Sometimes it’s a way of not having to deal with the issue and other times it’s done out of comfort. Have you ever walked by someone and said, “hey, how are you?”as you continue to walk. Were you genuinely concerned about how that person was doing, if you keep walking as you ask the question. Many times we get so caught up in our own affairs we don’t consider what’s really going on with those that are around us. Apart of us removing the mask is for us to be transparent and truthful with ourselves and others, while also being genuinely considered about those around us or that we come in contact with throughout our day. Let’s break barriers by living our best life; uncover the mask!