I Am Not Broken

Written By Janelle LaRae

You can’t fix me, please don’t try.

Your attempt to repair a part of me tells me you think something is flawed.

You think something is broken.

What if I’m not flawed or broken?

What if I was made this way?

You don’t know me.

You don’t know what it feels like to walk with my feet.

You don’t know what I see.

You don’t know the path I took to get here.

You don’t know me any more than I know you.

Our lives are not formulas that can be applied like math equations.

That system that worked for you, may not work for me.

That book that inspired you, may not inspire me.

I’m glad you found your way.

Now, know that I must find my own.

Instead, see all of me.

Instead, ask me questions.

Instead, seek to know what it feels like to be me.

Instead, listen.

Instead, be by my side with no tools in your hands.

You can support me.

You can encourage me.

You can hear me.

You can try to understand me.

You can be my friend.


Janelle LaRae

I am a teacher and author. I teach elementary school and inspire students to be the best versions of themselves. I use honesty and vulnerability in my writing as I describe how I have overcome cancer, MS, and other difficulties of life.

I received a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from Northwest Nazarene University in 1999 and a Master’s of Science in Science Education from Montana State University in 2017.

I understand how life rarely goes as planned and I am adept at finding a way through those difficulties. I have lived in southwest Idaho with my husband since 1996. I enjoy spending time with my 2 amazing daughters. I do everything in my power to stay active. Exercise and health are priorities in my day and I won’t miss an opportunity for some stand-up paddle boarding. Since 2007, my family has been vacationing in Newport, Oregon where I run on the beach and surf the waves as long as they aren’t too big and the sharks stay clear.

https://janellelarae.com
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