“While other stone fruits grow tender on the surface as they ripen, apricots take an alternate path to maturity, softening from the inside out.” -Samin Nosrat
Do you feel like you’ve softened as you’ve gotten older? I sure do.
At some point in my 20’s I intentionally took on a hardened exterior, closed and sealed up tight. I thought it was cool to be aloof. It was uncomfortable for me to say “I love you” even when I did. Any display of emotion seemed to me a signal of vulnerability, and thus weakness.
But growing older, going through some tough things, becoming a mama, enduring, adapting, and rolling with life’s many unexpected turns have all ripened me. I now understand that the capacity to be vulnerable with others, to express our true selves openly, to share our fears and to seek help when we need it are strengths.
These things exercise our connectivity muscles and allow us to more deeply engage with others and with the world around us.
Now I throw around “I love yous” and tear up with joy daily. I feel softer and sweeter than I did when I was younger. Like an apricot.
