For when you don’t recognize yourself-

For When You Don’t Recognize Yourself

Hand on heart.
Deep breath.

Introduce yourself to this new version of you.

Is she angry? Irritable? Eyes dull and tired?
Feeling lifeless and alone?

Say hello.
“I see you.
This is hard, huh?
And you’re carrying it quietly, maybe even feeling alone in it. I see that.”

There was another version of you once—
She loved the climbing gym, feeling strong and alive.
She danced salsa until her feet ached and the fan was her only refuge,
a smile still lingering on her lips.

She feels far away now, doesn’t she?

You would have liked her.
Even though she feels a world away,
I believe you still hold her somewhere inside.

Right now, you feel angry.
Lonely.
Overwhelmed.

So here’s what I want you to know:
I won’t leave you alone with the hard.
I won’t just hand it all over to you—even though I know you could handle it.

I’ll shoulder it with you.
And maybe then, you’ll have space again.

Space for joy.
For dancing.
Or even just for daydreaming.

You were made for more than resentment and exhaustion.
So much more.

You and that old self?
I think you might actually enjoy each other—dancing, climbing, writing a poem.

So, let’s start there.

Three clicks of the heels, to invite a little playfulness.
There’s no place like home.

You will find your way back.