There's a line in The Lumineer's song "Ophelia" that has always stuck with me. Between the plunky piano notes and the steady percussion, it's easy to miss. It's short and it's sweet, but it feels unbelievably relatable:
"And you can't feel nothing small."
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The minute I heard this line, it struck a chord (pun intended). This simple line helped put into words something I was never quite able to articulate before. Adjectives like "sensitive" and "dramatic" have been used to describe me, time and time again. But with these words, I have always felt a negative connotation. Maybe you're like me. Maybe you just don't have small feelings. And, that is okay.
I think of people's capacity for emotions as a spectrum. The average person probably lies in the middle of the spectrum on a day to day basis, moving up the spectrum a little when something good happens and down a little when they're bummed out. For whatever reason, I'm pretty sure I was programmed to have my spectrum swing all the way from end to end.
But despite what society may tell you, having an enormous amount of feelings is not a weakness. Sure, maybe you cry more easily at "Marley and Me" than the average person and you debate holding a mini-funeral for the wasp that died, even though you're hand is still throbbing from its sting. But, there are perks to having a large capacity for emotions. Your lows might seem devastating, but your highs soar miles above everyone else's. When you are happy, you are overjoyed. Others will never have the experience of literally jumping around because you just decided to order pizza. They won't dance around barefoot in the kitchen at midnight simply because you and your friends are baking s'mores in the oven (it's no coincidence that my happy examples all involve some delicious type of food).
I would not change my "overly-sensitive" soul for the world. My friendships and all other relationships are made better for it. I am better at my job because I'm able to really feel for and empathize with patients because of it. And, little everyday pleasures such as a delicious cup of coffee or a nice car ride with good music have me dancing in my seat.
So, if you're like me, it's okay. If you don't know how to be simply content but instead elated, that's fantastic. If you never just feel a little down but instead completely torn up, it's exhausting but comes with the territory. Those of us who are "dramatic" will take those lows if they come with those mountainous highs. I will never apologize for not being able to feel anything small.
