"She had blue skin.
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by —
And never knew."

Shel Silverstein, Masks

If anyone tells you that they have never worn a mask, I'm not sure I would believe them. As humans, we are trained by our culture in infancy to adapt to situations and people, and our primitive instincts tell us to become who we need to be in order to have the best possible outcome for having our emotional and physical needs met. When we are young, we learn to pretend. Imagination is the beautiful side of pretending. Masks are the tragic side, because they whisper "Who I am isn't ok."

Whatever the reason we once put on a mask, I would like to ask you one question. Do you still need it?

Surround yourself with people with whom you don't need a mask in order to survive. Because who you are, raw and vulnerable and mask-less, is exactly who your world needs. There has never been, and never will be, any other YOU. Let that sink in. Let your blue shine!