Closed Doors, Open Hearts

There are moments when the world feels too loud, too close. When the news carries activating stories, something inside us tightens. We want connection, desperately. And at the same time, we want distance. Safety. Control.

Recently, in our Community Connections program, a new member joined for the very first time. That alone took courage. She didn’t say much at first, but when it came time to create, she painted a door mat covered in hearts. Inside were the words: “go away.”

Instead of stepping back, we leaned in, smiling.

That mat said what so many people feel but struggle to articulate. The longing to be held, understood, and seen, paired with the fear that letting anyone too close could hurt, overwhelm, or undo us. Keeping people out feels safe. It’s familiar.

But safety, while protective, can also be isolating.

Letting people in is riskier. It asks us to sit with vulnerability, to trust that others can meet us with care rather than harm. It invites the possibility of healing.

That mat now sits as a quiet teacher. A reminder that ambivalence is not weakness. It’s honesty. And that showing up, even while wanting to push the world away, is an act of profound strength.

Connection doesn’t mean abandoning our boundaries. It means choosing, gently and on our own terms, to open a door just enough to let the light in.

Warmly,

Belinda Seagram, Ph.D., R. Psych.
Executive Director, Landing Strong