be where you are

i believe it is not only important

but also necessary

to offer ourselves the gift of compassion.

i know that for me,

when i am going through something

the only way to get to the other side

is to allow myself to be in it in the first place.

i have to feel it,

every bit of it,

sometimes how ridiculously hard it is

sometimes glimpses of how beautiful it is

other times how simply debilitating it is.

i have to face it 

every single day 

until it isn't there anymore

or until it looks 

completely different.

sugarcoating or masking the truth of where we are

does not lead us out of the dark,

does not bring the light to where we are fallen,

and does not remove the shrapnel 

from our soul.

be where you are. 

love yourself there. 

it's okay.

be who you are

some people work so hard at not being who they are.

and many of us have had times in our lives when we sacrificed who we were for what we thought we needed to be.

my son wrote this in his gratitude journal when he was 8 years old. 
i have printed it and hung it by the bathroom mirror as a reminder for us each morning and each night.

i appreciate the misspelling. it's who he was when he was 8.

the truth is it's about all the things that make us who we are. 

it's not about perceptions, assumptions, or facades. 

it's not about compromising who we are for the sake of anyone else. 

experiences with people who do not know who we really are ... are not true experiences for either party.

every day that you live falsely is a day you sacrifice yourself and your freedom to give, have, feel, love, and be loved, as only you can.

be you.
be love.
be happy.

dare ...

♥ make today ridiculously amazing ♥

if this comes at the right time for you, pay attention to how that feels.

and dare to be You!

who are you thankful for?

tell them today!

celebrate YOU

♥