Life Lately, Birthday Edition

Life lately. Birthday edition. Last night, after all of the day’s celebrations, J and I danced to ‘I Hope You Dance’ by the pool … and then I had a deep cathartic cry right before bed. It seemed to come out of nowhere, and then it suddenly all made sense. Both and.

I am a highly sensitive, empathic, introverted human. I love people, but I also feel everything very deeply. Unless you have these tendencies, it is hard to explain, and can be overwhelming. For a long time I overindulged to deal with and manage these feelings, but now I know how to honor them. It’s such a paradigm shift to go from a list of things that need to be fixed to making space for what’s showing up. Everything belongs. Good and bad. Both and. 

I cried last night, witnessing all of the beauty that is my life. Simple moments that literally take my breath away. And I cried because of all of the pain that is here among us … the divisions between us, the political wars being waged before us, the devastation of the earth because of careless and money hungry humans, the list goes on. Both and.

Birthdays have a way of doing that, marking the passage of time, giving us a chance to reflect. Today, I am so grateful for each of you, a part of my past (and present), the ways our lives have touched each other, all of the beauty of ‘walking each other home.’ From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I am grateful for this life and all of the beautiful humans (you) I get to live it with.

(Photo by Ernest Brillo on Unsplash)