Rocky Balboa got it! He didn’t try to hide it; he didn’t pretend; he simply admitted he had “gaps.” In fact, when asked by his brother-in-law Paulie Pennino why he liked Adrian so much he said,
“I dunno, she’s got gaps, I got gaps, together we fill gaps.”― Sylvester Stallone-Rocky
Rocky understood having “gaps” is a part of what it means to be human. No one is perfect. Everyone has need. We all have “gaps”.
Sadly we spend a great deal of time trying to convince ourselves and others that we don’t have any needs or gaps in our lives. Someone asks you, “Hey, how are you doing?” or “Is there anything I can do for you?” and the first words out of our mouths is, “No, everything is good!” Yet just yesterday you cried yourself to sleep feeling desperately isolated and alone. You haven’t balanced your checkbook in three months, you haven’t been on a date for over a year, and you haven’t had a full nights sleep for over four weeks. “No, everything is good!”
Why are we so unwilling to admit we are in need? I thought of a few reasons: Pride, fearing we will be a burden to someone, wondering what others will think of us when they see how broken our lives really are, potential rejection, admitting we can’t do it on our own, and many others. What would you add to this list?
Today I simply want to encourage you to heed the words of the great philosopher Rocky Balboa and admit that you have gaps! I have gaps. You have gaps. And instead of trying to hide them or deny you have them, admit that you have gaps. Say out loud, “I HAVE GAPS!” Name them out loud. Say them out loud to yourself. If you are feeling really brave, share them with your spouse, your friend, or partner. I have discovered the more willing I am to be honest about the needs I have, the more often I find ways to solve them. You see when I admit I have a gap and you admit you have a gap, very often together we fill the gaps!
Ellen Stumbo, mother of a beautiful daughter who has Down Syndrome, author, and blogger, shared the following video on her Facebook page titled “We have needs too.” I hope you take minute to watch it.
https://www.facebook.com/ellenstumbowriter/videos/1455153904577645/