To You, With Love

We all have wounds. We’ve all experienced giant, gaping holes in our hearts and lost pieces of ourselves along the way. But what matters is if we can allow ourselves to be vulnerable again to show and share all our sides – to trust that someone out there can accept and care for us in both our beauty and our shame, in our raging light and in the absence of our flame. 

Life is hard. Complicated. Unpredictable. Things don’t always go as we plan. We can get hurt, and we can hurt each other. As humans who are completely flawed in a world filled with brokenness and pain, this is inevitable sometimes. But we have to go on, to move forward, to let go, and let ourselves off the hook sometimes. Because there is still joy to be found. There is still hope. And magic. And light. Always remember that. And remember, accept, and believe that you are enough.

Unexpected Rainstorms

When caught in an unexpected rain storm, how often do we slow down and let the rain wash over us? Even if it drenches us. Ruins our makeup. Reveals our tired, un-shiny selves that aren’t always so put together. The beauty of life is in those quiet, random, seemingly chaotic moments, but too often we run from them – these moments that weren’t part of the plan. Moments that are scary. Moments that make us vulnerable. But we are meant to feel things. To experience things. To approach life with wonder and reckless abandon. So next time it rains and you find yourself running for cover, slow down. Wait. Be still. And remember that the beauty and magic we so often search for in the mundaneness of our routines are often found in those small moments – trickling down into our souls, like raindrops on our cheeks.

Surround Yourself

Surround yourself with those who can appreciate and relate to the fathoms, complexities, and brilliant colors of your soul. There will always be those in this life that will find a reason to tear you down. But their actions can never define you. Be who you are. Be your brilliant, quirky, weird, crazy, wonderful self. And surround yourself with those you can remind you of who you are when doubt creeps in – those that say: I see you, and I know you, and it’s all going to be okay.

All Those Small Moments

I love this quote from the film We Bought A Zoo where the character Benjamin Mee says: “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.” As with anything as unpredictable as life, I’ve had moments where I’ve been brave before, and the story didn’t pan out how I thought it would. It’s easy to recoil after those moments and vow to never let your idealist heart be so recklessly bold again. But every good story has those moments. Every good story requires those moments. So maybe, if you keep putting yourself out there, keep taking one small step at a time, you’ll look back one day and realize it was all those small moments – of defeat, and of triumph – that got you where you are.