today is hard. holidays are hard. this year has been and still is hard.

in the long run of things, today is just a day. you can do with it what you want. there will be another day tomorrow. there will be another holiday next year. its okay if this one is different/imperfect.

you can survive this day because you have survived every single day youve been up against thus far. you can tolerate this weirdness. you can live through sadness. uncomfortable feelings cannot and will not kill you. you can tolerate it if you must, and many of us must.

when we're hurting all we can think of is the pain we feel & we dont see that the very fact that we are alive and here to experience that pain is a sign of strength & proof of our ability to survive. if youre sad/unhappy today, its okay. youre still strong bc youre still here.

for me, this year has made finding things to be thankful for easy. all the loss & grief a has drawn huge bright blinking neon circles around what has *not* been taken from me. being grateful for something when the world is hurting can feel wrong, but it helps keeps us alive.

i hope you have the strength to try today, and if all your strength must go to breathing in order to get thru this day, please know that that's okay. be kind to yourself.

may you be safe & protected
may you be cherished & loved
may you find space & kindness for healing <3

(in case its helpful, here's a loving kindness meditation that my therapist shared with me - )