The Weird Kids

I've been called weird for as long as I can remember.

When I was younger, I heard it as an insult.

It made me feel different.

Like there was something about me that needed fixing.

Something that stood between me and belonging.

Years later, I've come to see that word differently.

Weird isn't the opposite of belonging.

Sometimes it's the path to it.

For a long time, I thought belonging meant fitting in.

Blending.

Adapting.

Becoming whatever the situation required.

But fitting in and belonging are not the same thing.

Fitting in often asks us to hide parts of ourselves.

Belonging asks us to bring them with us.

The things that once made me feel different are often the very things that connect me to the people who matter most.

The older I get, the less interested I am in being universally liked.

And the more interested I am in being fully myself.

Weird and all.