A Bit of Grace

Since July, moments of this year have flown by while others seemed like they would never end. I’ve been caught in the painful ones that don’t ease up when you need them to, and the happy ones that you want to hold onto so tightly they can’t slip away. If only we could choose which ones we experience and when…but life doesn’t work that way. As humans, we’re conditioned to strive for positive outcomes and tend to feel defeated when we don’t get them. Something we often forget to do when this happens is give ourselves some grace.

I see parents being self-critical when they’re struggling to balance work, be present for their kids at all times, and manage every other role they’re expected to on a daily basis while also trying to be their own person. Most of the 20-30 year olds I’ve talked to about their professions have shared that they feel unfulfilled because the second they learn something new, they’re expected to move on to the next instead of taking time to master it and celebrate it. As someone in the creative field, I’ve experienced how easy it can be to think you’re not doing enough work or making enough if you aren’t constantly busy. Personally, I’m hard on myself when I need a second to cry and let out how I’m feeling if I think that someone else would be handling the situation better or differently. What we all have in common is that we’re trying to get through each day the best that we can, and it’s important to allow ourselves to be proud of that and savor every good moment that comes with it. 

My grandpa passed away recently, and something he shared with our family in his last few days has been on my mind as I reflect on this past year. As a man who worked extremely hard his entire life, he knew he could be proud of what he did even in the difficult stages because of how he viewed success. He said, “You can make all the money in the world and reach every possible achievement, but at the end of the day those things don’t matter. How you treat the people around you and love them is what you’ll remember the most.” I think the same thing can be said about how you love yourself. I hope that when you start to feel overwhelmed with everything life throws at you, you’ll give yourself grace and remember that you are loved, supported and valued because of who you are, not how much you can do. 

-Chloë