Trust

One of my students shared a poem he wrote with me. He is quite good with words, and I told him so. I asked him if he wanted to share his poem at our poetry night, but he said, "I'm good with words but not so good with people."

I can accept that.

He asked, "Do you want to know where I get all my ideas for poetry?"

"Sure."

"I'll tell you some other day."

Today was that some other day. He took me aside saying, "Not where anyone else can hear."

"Okay."

"I am only telling you this because I trust you. The ideas don't come from me. I think I have multiple personalities, but different, not like the out of control people who really have it. I have a voice who tells me these poems, and there are other voices too."

"You know, not everyone who has multiple personality disorder is out of control," I said. "I know a little bit about it, and what you see represented in Hollywood is not the reality."

"Well, mine is like it but different. I'm don't act crazy or anything."

I just smiled and accepted his gift of trust, and I know that someday he may figure it all out. I trust that he will be okay because he has a good support system, and he is a remarkable young man. I am saddened that I cannot share what I know about DID with him.

I am thankful that he trusts me. He is a warm, sweet student full of hope and wonder. I don't know if he really has DID or something else, but it is sad that we live in a world where we can't safely talk about the other voices in our heads because doing so will cause others to think we are crazy. This young man is an incredibly creative, shy, quiet, intelligent, gentle soul, but he worries that those who he cannot trust will label him crazy if they knew the source of his poetry.

I say this often, but I pray for a day when all of us are valued for all parts of us - even those parts that the outside world cannot see.