Griffe,
Jme, but feeling alone was recognition that I was indeed walking a solitary path...it took awhile before I saw my fellow travelers on their paths.
Solitary yes, but parallel paths.

Feeling vulnerable is akin to stripping away the layers of self preservation we use to survive...and, yes, each one hurts when it is yanked off. We cannot see that it is progress; it hurts too much.

Something my father said to me, and right now I cannot quote it word for word, but the meaning is still there...
"At first the wound is raw and painful. Slowly the scab begins to cover it, it falls off in its' own good time. We are left with a scar, prominent and we feel it's disfiguring. It fades and becomes part of who we are; it does not define us."

Trusting you are on the mend when your heart and spirit hurt so badly is stepping out in courage. That step may be an itty-bitty one, but it is a valuable step.

We Care
Please keep posting,

Cap