Privacy, choice, authenticity

She’s overwhelmed this morning,

Heart heavy, hit hard, wounded somehow,

Mind busy, overcommitted, behind,

Soul disquieted, disturbed, unsettled,

Altogether hurried, crowded, clouded, uncalm,

⊹⊹⊹

It’s just a feeling, a choice, a perception

She knows this,

She’s felt this way before,

Come through okay before,

Come back lighter and stronger before,

⊹⊹⊹

She’s grateful it’s not all up to her,

The whole world doesn’t rest on her shoulders,

Not everything is her responsibility,

And for those things that are,

She has choices,

She can ask for help, for healing, for growth,

For peace, for progress, for solutions,

She can slow down, cancel commitments, extend deadlines,

She can clear her calendar, her desk, her to-do list,

She can say no, I’m sorry, I can’t, I’m not available,

She can take a wellness day, a week, a month,

She’s grateful for these choices,

⊹⊹⊹

She’s also grateful for her privacy,

Delighted the Universe did not grant her fame,

Even though she’d wanted it once upon a time,

It’s easier to unplug this way,

To stay home, turn out the lights, get in bed early,

Shut out the news feeds,

Step away from the social media nonsense,

Women these days don’t always get that,

Or at least don’t know they have it,

⊹⊹⊹

She will come back to herself,

She always does,

Sometimes it takes a little darkness for her light to emerge,

But it’s always there,

Always bright,

Always authentically her.

⊹⊹⊹

Today, she keeps only what’s essential on her plate,

She does her best and steps away from the rest,

She prays for her world, her country, her people,

She looks for beauty and finds it everywhere,

She works,

She plays,

She grows,

She rests,

She trusts that all she has to give is enough for today,

She refills her cup at the well,

Drinks deeply so she’ll have more to give another day,

Another day,

Not today,

Today, she just is.

⊹⊹⊹

In the wake of all that’s gone on this week, I’ve felt a knot in my chest growing larger and larger every day. I’ve journaled, read good books (the new Liz Gilbert memoir and a really good TJR novel in particular), rested, taken myself on long walks, leaned into my watercolor practice, and this morning, this little poem emerged. Sharing it with you is starting to unravel the knot. Thank you for the opportunity to share. I hope you’re finding ways to take care of yourself, too.

If you’d like to share your own words, I’d love to read them — I’ll keep them private, too. I’m only an email away.

💛

Until next Friday,

Celeste