I lived the life of a wallflower. I was an awkward little introverted flower desperate to bloom but I felt constricted. I felt as if a viscous snake lived wrapped around my neck and if at any one moment I said or did something out of the normal then the snake would increasingly wrap tighter around my neck. 

Deep down I always wanted to talk. I wanted to have an opinion. I wanted to be noticed but every word I said came out as a little squeak, so I remained quiet watching others enjoy their lives from a distance. I wanted to be like the girls my age at church. They looked so happy, giggling at the end of every sentence and I longed to be a part of it.

Every Sunday at church I tried to muster up my confidence and try to talk to them. I struggled to think of clever, funny things to say to them so I could impress them and they would let me join them in their giggles. Except I never could.

Eventually I gave up a hope of their friendship. I remained a wallflower- that is until Brooke (a member of the giggling clan) broke my painful silence.

Brooke had recently moved nearer to my house due to a devastating fire. This experience opened her eyes a little. So many families had helped her family recover after the fire and because of this, she understood the importance of kindness and she wanted to share this. She was able to see others in a new light of generosity and charity and I was her first target.

About a month after the fire she invited me to her home. I hesitatingly accepted her invitation knowing that we would surely be awkward acquaintances and wouldn’t have any fun.

Instead of the awkward boring time I expected we would have, I found we had much in common and we became fast friends. She unwound the constricting snake wrapped tightly around my neck with ease.

Soon I became friends with the rest of those girls at church and often I became the one causing the giggles I longed to evoke and the constricting snake is now gone.

I encourage others to take on the role that Brooke took on in my life to the other awkward little wallflowers in the world. Taking on this role can be as simple as smiling, complimenting, or saying hello to someone that seems lonely. These small acts of kindness can help unwind the snakes constricting the other wallflowers and introverts of the world to bloom into their full potential.