A Toast To Feelings

They're valid. They're important. They're a strength.

A toast to feeling all the feels – the highs, the gut-wrenching lows, and everything in between. It's for those who've been told they're "too sensitive," "too emotional," like those are bad things. Reminder: they're not.

It's for those of us who've felt the sting of being misunderstood, the frustration of trying to explain the depth of your inner world to those who don’t get it. Reminder, people can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themselves (shoutout Pinterest for that one).

And this is especially for those who've bravely outgrown the people and places that no longer resonate with who they’re becoming. This one’s tough. It requires a sense of mourning that can eat at you — but it is so necessary to let go and create space. Especially for those of us who’ve held our worth in the hands of others thoughts, beliefs, and relationships. (*Eldest daughters who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders rise up*).

It’s about recognizing the power of deep empathy, the ability to truly hold space for yourself and others, to witness pain and joy without judgment.

It’s about welcoming the tears. The physical release of the emotions. Probably lots of them. And if you’re like me you’ll take a picture of every breakdown and add it to your iPhone Album. (And if you can ever find the album after this god-awful ioS update, you’ll remind yourself of how far you’ve come).

It's about allowing yourself to mourn the life you thought you wanted, the dreams that shifted or dissolved, and making peace with the present. Because within that mourning, within that uncomfortable growth, lies the potential for something even more beautiful, even more authentic. Spoiler alert: growth doesn’t have an end date and just continues as you move through life.

And through it all? It's about the quiet rebellion of not constantly explaining yourself. Your feelings? Your very existence? None of anyone's business but your own. Especially after realizing how much time and energy you've spent pouring yourself empty for others or making yourself small so you can take up less space amongst those who don’t see you.

This is my toast for those of us who’ve lost our sparkle along the way.
Who’ve allowed the world to seep in and dull it, but are putting in the work to find it again.

This is my toast to owning your emotions.
Honoring them. Celebrating them.
Embracing the glorious, messy complexity of it all.
Knowing, deep down, that you are a feeler.
And that, my friends, is a truly fantastic thing.
Cheers.

---

This chic yet functional alarm clock from Hatch has been the greatest addition to my daily routine has been incredible for sleep & overall mental health. I can’t get enough of their “wind down” night routine and the sunrise alarms that don’t jarr me like my iPhone. (Not gifted, just love — you know how I feel about a good product).

Thanks for being here and reading TMM!