oh, but you should be grateful

Life can be overwhelming, and when you add in the stress of the pandemic, it can almost feel impossible. Although some recent shifts have lightened my heart a bit, I am feeling the heaviness of these groundhog days.

Are we healthy and safe? Yes. Do we have food and shelter? Yes. Do I have an amazing family who I like to be around? Most of the time, very much. We pray and give to those who have had a far different story during this pandemic. It has been heart wrenching and tragic for millions. Should I be grateful and appreciate everything I do have? Absolutely.

But sometimes just feeling the stress and giving yourself the freedom to feel that this is all too much is just as important (a lesson I learned from my little bro).

So today, I am standing with you if you feel like this is just all too much. I'm standing with you if you're feeling guilty for being overwhelmed because you have "everything you need within these four walls." I'm standing with you if you don't want to make dinner one more dang night. I'm standing with you if you don't want to hear your kids bicker over who gets next turn on the Simon memory game. I'm standing with you if you don't want to yell out the window one more time to tell your kids to keep their masks over their nose. I'm standing with you if you're sick of your own voice and just want some time to live the way we did before March. I'm standing with you if you want time away from your kids to be with your husband, wife, partner, friends, family...

This IS a lot, even if you're healthy and safe and fed and employed and grateful.

So just for today, breathe deeper into this overwhelm. You will be ready to let it go and move on sometime soon. And you know what? You might feel even lighter than if you just pushed the feelings aside because you "should be grateful." Sending love to all of those who need it today.