We live in an age of superheroes.  Comics, cartoons and movies portray those whose goal is to thwart evil, protect the masses and bring about goodness and justice and truth.  Not an easy task given the shrewd maneuvers of the villains.  Sometimes a superhero’s archenemy has such adept tactics in their battle plan, what appears to be evil may actually be good.  Having seen only a handful of movies in this genre, one theme seems common throughout; the struggle a superhero experiences in wearing the mask.

This may be a good time to assess the masks each of us wear to appear superhuman.  Both men and women alike are guilty of this.  We put on the mask of having it all together when our lives are actually crumbling around us.  I am by no means advocating baring one’s soul to total strangers, but having a solid support system in place where you are known for who you are at your core is of great importance in our sometimes hectic, fragmented and impersonal culture.   This takes the practice of recognizing safe people with whom you can remove the mask and feel support and acceptance of the person beneath the mask.

Marlayne Whitlock, MS
mwhitlock@ GROWcounseling.com