Unmasking

"We got two glow-in-the-dark masks."

• Michelle Fry
  

Unmasking

I knocked on the door not really knowing what to expect. I knew these people just a little bit; on the surface. That's a lot different from really knowing them. You know how it is, you think you know someone until you live with them and then you find out who they really are. And, I wasn't here to move in, but I was here to get to know these neighbors better; to try to remove their masks, if you know what I mean.

After all, we all wear masks for others to see. The truth is that I think almost everyone of us is afraid to show at least some people around us who we really are. We don't want people to think we're weak or not capable, or . . .? Well, you get the picture.

When the door opened, the interior of the home jumped out like a picture in a magazine. It was clean and well furnished, and the face greeting me was bright with a smile. The warmth of that smile and the home drew me in.

I could tell that the warmth I felt from these people was melting any masks away. I knew that mine had vanished as soon as I sat down. It was comfortable to be there and as we talked, our friendship was deepening. I could tell by the amount of laughter in the room.

"These people removed the masks within their family a long time ago. They know how to have a good time with each other. They know how to enjoy life as a family." I whispered with my inside voice.

"Tell him about the masks," Cory said.

"We got these two glow-in-the-dark masks and put them close to the light for a long time so they'd be real bright!" Michelle responded.

I watched Colton, their twenty-something son, squirm a little as his parents spun a tale of scaring him so badly one night that there wasn't a soul still sitting due to uncontrollable laughter.

When I was able to control my laughing again, this moment seemed to freeze, even in the warm glow of friendship. I saw the sparkle in each person's eyes. I noted everyone's lips drawn up toward their ears. I recognized the softness of love and caring in every face.

"No one can love and laugh like this with a mask on," I said to myself.

Love combined with laughter will always unmask loneliness and fear. Mixing them into your interactions will brighten your life and deepen your relationships. When you do, everyone around you will know they won't need to hide behind a mask any more. They'll recognize the genuine thing when they see it, and so will you.