At the end of the day, everything will be okay

There are days when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Days when things don't go the way you'd expect them to. Days when the sky looks really gray and you get rained on.

But I need to remind myself that at the end of the day, everything will be okay. No matter how much it rains, there will always be calm after the storm. Life can be like a roller coaster sometimes, but I won't let the downs define who I am. I am so much more than what happens to me, and I am more valuable than what I give myself credit for. I refuse to be belittled by my experiences; instead, I need to transform my feelings into vehicles of greatness.

I was just reading a beautiful blog post by Hannah Brencher, and her words fit perfectly. Since I can't write it better than she did, I'll quote her directly:

"There will be them days when all you have the strength to do is sit—square in the middle of the kitchen table that still holds your initials from childhood—and pair spoonfuls of peanut butter with a carton of vanilla bean ice cream. One more bite, that’s it. Just one more bite.
On them days, go for creamy instead of chunky. Go until the gentle reminder pushes its way inward: Food won’t heal you. Food won’t fix you. Put the Big Spoon down, Little One. I love you too much to watch this pain.
There will be them days when you’ll scrape the polish right off of your fingers. Freckles of Gold and Blue falling to the floor of the car. And you’ll look down at your hands in discouragement. What do you want of me? The question will sit in your throat. What am I here for?"

Things will get better. They always have and they always will.

 

Be a human today

I'm sitting at my desk, pretending to be productive when all I can think about and feel is pain. I look as if I was highly engrossed reading the latest scientific article that came out in one of those high impact journals. In reality, I'm reading the news and I can't help staring into the blankness of the page that I'm typing on and let my heart ache.
Last night while laying in bed I was thinking about a blog post that would be about me, and about how my life is so much different than a year ago. But today is not about me. Today's post is dedicated to all of those who are suffering, all of those who are in pain, whether it is because they've lost a loved one or because of a terminal illness.
These simple words go out to those who are chained to their addictions, obsessions or traumas. These humble lines are dedicated to what makes us human and what brings us together as mankind. I wish I could say that I feel your pain, but only you, who is reading these lines, knows exactly what makes your heart ache. Only you know how unbearable your suffering is, whatever it may be.  I wish I could take your pain and transform it into something beautiful. But only you have the power to do that.

Today I wish for a world that is capable of going beyond its differences and unite in prayer for our troubles. Because no matter how many technological or scientific advances we make, if we lose our ability to feel and empathize, we've defeated the purpose of being on this planet.

Today, forget about your pain and put yourself in someone else's shoes.

Today, be a human.