Go Gently
This morning I was putting an appointment in my calendar (yes, I am die-hard when it comes to my good old-fashioned paper planner…but I use Google, too! Stop yelling at me!) and I realized something staggering.
Next week is September.
Whaaat?!?!?!
That’s right. Summer is giving way to fall and the seasons are shifting once more.
I have to tell you, I’m not sorry.
It’s been a helluva month.
Among other things, I'm continuing to scrape myself back together after my Mom was seriously injured in a car accident more than a week ago.
It’s been a wild ride and trying to stay sane and grounded has taken monumental time and effort.
The thing is, it seems like everyone I’m talking to is feeling some variation of this.
Whether it’s navigating the newest iterations of pandemic life (back to school, anyone?) or coping with an unexpected transition or simply feeling unusually tired and stretched thin, it seems like every person I talk to is working extra hard to hold onto their optimism and courage and anything resembling grace right now.
So I just want to say this today:
Go gently.
Go gently with yourself.
Go gently with those you live with and work with and share a community with.
Go gently with those you know and those you don’t.
Go gently with the customer service rep on the other end of the phone and the cashier at the grocery store and the person delivering your package.
Go gently with your comments on social media and your assumptions about the driver in front of you.
But begin with yourself.
Begin by recognizing that some of the plates you can usually keep spinning in the air might hit the ground right now.
Begin by reminding yourself that you are allowed to feel like a damn mess sometimes.
Begin by remembering that you don’t have to be perfect to still be worthy.
That’s it. That’s all I’ve got for you right now.
Keep breathing deeply.
Keep looking for those tiny spaces to pause, to ground, to reset. They’re there, I promise.
Seasons change. Summer turns towards fall. Days grow shorter and the world keeps spinning.
Sometimes that feels shocking. Sometimes that feels like exactly the relief we need.
Wherever you are right now, I hope that you can go gently.
Stay curious out there, my friend.