I love hockey. No really, I love hockey. I mean, my cat is named after a hockey player.

But don’t worry non-sports people this isn’t a post about sports, at least not at the heart. It’s a story about vulnerability (shocking I know).

At the beginning of this quarantine there was a very distinct air of ‘now is the time to do what you’ve been putting off’.

If you’ve never heard of Brené Brown, stop reading this and go watch her TED Talk. If you’d rather keep reading, well then thank you and here’s a summary: Brown’s work centers around two things, shame, and vulnerability. Daring Greatly, at least in my limited exposure to it (I’m still reading), focuses mostly on Brown’s work with vulnerability.

I love my family, even though they’re not perfect. I’m close to my family, even though sometimes they annoy me. They’ve taught me a lot throughout my life. One important lesson I’ve learned from them is the difference between loving someone and liking them.

Growing up my family had three dachshunds. Kandi, the mom, and two of her puppies, Chocolate and Pal. Chocolate was officially “my dog” as much as a child can have their own pet. I loved her dearly. I still do, I carry her id tag on my keychain — a little pink heart with my old home phone number on the back. I remember all three of them being happy, loyal, and fun

2017 was not a good year for me. I took a medical leave from college and went into an intensive outpatient therapy program. It was the right decision. I need to figure some stuff out, and I did.