The Masks We Wear

My younger brother, Vincent, and me on Halloween, circa 1979

I always felt claustrophobic wearing those plastic masks from the 1970s. You know the ones - the plastic outfits came in a box and you could imagine yourself as a superhero or, in my case, as Barbie. The masks always made me sweat and I could barely breathe or see. The thin rubber band in the back always snapped. Jerry Seinfeld describes them perfectly with breathing sound effects: “Whooosh!” 

I used to give a high school retreat talk that described the “masks” that we wear to avoid revealing our true selves. They say, “I’m okay” or “I’m fine” or “I’m happy” when I’m really not. Masks cover up our fears and insecurities and they prevent us from asking for help or advice because we don’t want to appear weak. It’s the “I’m tough and strong” or “I don’t care” so it doesn’t hurt so much when we fail. It’s the masks that hide our low self esteem, our depression or shame. We all wear them from time to time. And we all need at least one person in our lives with whom we can take it off and just breathe.

I encourage you to be that someone for a person who needs a genuine friend. And let’s all remind ourselves that Christ is that someone for all of us. Consider Jesus as a friend. Talk to Jesus as you would someone you trust with your whole self. And listen, too. Jesus has so much love to say to you, the real you.