I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord!

Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭14‬ ‭TPT‬‬

One of the traits of being an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person) is being sensitive to sounds and smells. This definitely applies to me. As I thought over all the smells that make me want to escape to the outdoors—indoors if my husband is smoking meat—it all makes perfect sense. And the sounds, are not just the loud sounds like my dogs barking, but the quiet irritating sounds too, like knuckles cracking or finger tapping. The hardest sound for me to tolerate is the competing conversations of a large gathering that makes it hard to hear the person talking right next to you.

Sounds and scents multiply at holiday gatherings creating a desire in me for peace and quiet. My enjoyment of my family battles against my natural response. I’m not reclusive. Instead my sensitivities make me easily overwhelmed.

So far the book (Sensitive & Strong) hasn’t gone into how to compensate, but has hinted at preparing for stressful situations ahead of time. I hope to read more soon, since Easter is coming and I’d love to have a fun, relaxing time with family.

I’m curious to learn if my stunted conversational skills stem from being an HSP. There are many aspects of carrying on a conversation that I am sensitive about. I’ll save that for another day.

Do certain smells cause you to open a window or lose your appetite? Does your child complain because you won’t buy them the toy piano or the toy gun? Do you notice a sound or a smell that nobody else does? Do you cringe when you open a gift and find perfume or a scented candle? Do you hold your breath when you walk down the detergent aisle at the grocery store? If you answered yes to most of these, you might be an HSP like me.

Two advantages I can think of: I’m good at singing harmony and I can tell you when the cookies are done. 😁 Anyway, more to come as I learn to see how my God ordained design fits into God’s plan for my life.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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