I recently had the opportunity to meet up with my good friend Kristin Opris for a story telling session. Kristin is a therapist who also writes in her free time as a hobby, and as her own form of therapy. Kristin is the author for the blog, The Dingpatch. The blog consists of real life stories from her childhood. Stories that all have a comedic twist. She includes illustrations also done by her that are both funny and relatable in the simplest way.

Have you ever met someone and just instantly connected? That’s the best way to describe the first time I met Kristin. We met in one of those scenarios where we just happened to be placed by each other at an event. Maybe call it fate? I call it divine planning. I was meant to be in that place at that time to meet her. Her husband is a videographer and he had his booth right next to mine at the Spokane Bridal Fair. I don’t normally do bridal fairs, but I had just moved to the area and this was one of the best ways to market my business. Jason and Kristin had just moved to the area as well so he was there for the same reason. Kristin doesn’t normally help him with these type of events, but it all just happened to work out that she was there. Once we started talking I knew I had to stay in contact with this couple. They were just so genuine and easy to talk to. I even ended up having a conversation with Kristin about some of the grief and current struggles my family had been going through. Things that I had never said out loud to anyone outside of my family. Things that needed to be let out. It was like my own much needed therapy session. I couldn’t believe that I had just happened to be placed next to someone that not only understood my pain, but dealt with these type of situations on a daily basis in her profession. It was the first time anyone had ever told me that it was ok to feel the way I was feeling, and it set me free.

Now I don’t just go around telling people my life struggles, and that’s why I call it divine planning. I needed her gift of empathy. We are placed in people’s lives for a reason. We have so many gifts and talents that we may see as insignificant, but they hold so much weight in other people’s lives. Kristin’s blog is her way of processing her own pain, and using her gift to tell a story. Stories that might otherwise be embarrassing or seem imperfect, but through a comedic lens they show us that we all face these things. We can choose to feel shame or we can use it to fight the constant drive in the world that says you have to be perfect.