A middle-aged American woman sitting on a floor cushion beside me at a cafe in Ubud opened up a friendly conversation. After about an hour of chatting she explains how she came to Bali to get a clear head in deciding to stay or leave her husband of 22 years, a great father but emotionally closed off for the better part of their marriage. I was open with my thoughts about the reality of her situation as she was open with hers. She suddenly broke down in tears. I reached over to give her a long hug and she thanked me while apologising for becoming emotional with someone she only met a couple hours prior, which there was no need for.
Sometimes we need to let out our feelings and become raw with someone we feel safe with, whether it's an old friend or someone brand new you feel a connection with who is open to providing space for you. She said she felt a sense of relief in knowing that if she can open up to such a degree to a practical stranger, she may be able to work through the emotional barriers with her husband.
Bali has an inexplicable processing and healing effect on the soul and it was a profound experience for me as much as it was for this woman. Time is of very little importance as is age; sometimes we need to reach out, sometimes we need to become raw, it's about being comfortable with the vulnerability of these experiences. Vulnerable doesn't mean weak, it means strength in unsheathing your inner self.
