Right Here, Right Now

Two years ago today I moved into my apartment.

This apartment was love at first sight. I mean, I was homeless so I was ridiculously excited to have an address again, but I adored this space immediately. It was cool. It was different. It was tiny and pretty. It had a freaking waterfall.

It was MINE.

Getting here was ... well.

Some journeys are not pretty.

That's what I want to talk about today, though. The ugly journeys. The difficult ones. The ones that have you wading hip deep through the shit life sometimes slings out, struggling in the muck, not feeling (or smelling) your best. The ones where you can't see what's up ahead. The ones where you wonder what the point is.

This is the point: life can be impossibly hard. You don't need me to say that -- you know it for yourself. There are days that just make you curl up and whimper because you can't process one more thing. I know. I've been there. We've all been there, I think. We have all struggled.

We've all also had pieces of our journey that are dappled sunshine and pretty flowers and lalalalalaaaaaa. We've had them and we should be thankful for them, because those parts of the journey are sweet.  At the same time, though, we should remember that it was hard to get there, and how we fought our way out of the muck and into the sunshine.

We should remember, as we turn our faces to the light on the path, that we are strong, and deserving, and worthy. We fought well and we never quit.

If you, right now, are in the middle of an ugly part of your journey, please know: you are not alone. You are strong and amazing and a warrior. You will get through this and because of it, you will be stronger and more incredible than you already are.

You will find the sunshine again.  I promise.

It is waiting for you to find it.