My daughters loved the musical “The Greatest Showman.” They wanted our family to see it. We did, not once but twice and we would have gone a third time, would it not have been sold out that day. My favorite song keeps reminding me of being a spouse of a MEM. The character is Letti Lutz, a bearded woman, who has been hiding away for a long time when P.T. Barnum brings her into the circus. She finds friends, a family, and courage.
In many ways I can relate to her character. We too have been hiding away, hiding away our true selves. We too are told we are broken, we are shamed because we don't fit into the dysfunctional family. We are constantly criticized. No one in our spouse's family loves us as we are, including our partner.
One day we, when we had enough, we realize we don't need to let them break us down to dust, we know there is a place for us, FOR WE ARE GLORIOUS!! We are glorious! We have endured much, we have been shamed by our partners, we have been scarred and shamed but really we are glorious, we are brave, we are bruised, we are us. We are brave, having endured so much and still having the courage to stand up for ourselves, not to be ashamed but glorious. We are brave, although we are bruised, we don't need to apologize for who we are. We are warriors! “Another round of bullets hits my skin, well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in, We are bursting through the barricades, And reaching for the sun, We are warriors, Yeah, that's what we've become!”
We are warriors, we are marching on to the beat we drum! We become empowered, we help each other, we are family, and we are bursting through barricades, marching to the beat we drum. All I can say, “LOOK OUT 'CAUSE HERE WE COME!
This is Me
I am not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away", they say
No one'll love you as you are
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
Another round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades
And reaching for the sun
(We are warriors)
Yeah, that's what we've become
(Yeah, that's what we've become)
Won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
Gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
This is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
And I know that I deserve your love
Oh-oh-oh-oh
There's nothing I'm not worthy of
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
This is brave, this is bruised
This is who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
(Look out 'cause here I come)
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
(Marching on, marching, marching on)
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
When the sharpest words wanna break me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
This is me