Dear crystal:

You were probably not weaker than your sister earlier in life, not just now. It was probably not true then. Parents say things and children believe what they are told, not questioning it. And when we are told as children what is not true, we suffer. Believing what is not true to be true- causes suffering.

Being emotionally strong is not being numb, tuning out one’s feeling on a regular basis. Strength is in the ability to endure emotional pain and distress without automatically reacting to it any which way. Having just defined strength as I believe it is, it reads to me that you are indeed strong.

Maybe the confusion you mentioned is the misconception of strength. And maybe you no longer have to tune out your feelings because you are strong enough to endure them, the distressing feelings, that is.

anita