There are things in life that defy an easy fix. Things that surprise us, perplex, frustrate, challenge, overwhelm us and sometimes take us to our knees. And the thing is, even though we know it’s part of the deal, we can be a little shell shocked. It’s impossible to prepare and we’re sometimes left feeling so…well, unprepared. Especially when ‘everyone else’ seems so together. (You know that’s an Instagram-, Facebook-fueled myth, right?) We can pretend these things, these times in our lives don’t exist. We try to fill our lives so full with the good, interesting and fulfilling that we think maybe we can crowd out the uncomfortable. Nope. But good try. We’re not trying to bring you down. Just the opposite. We just want to acknowledge a universal struggle. And we want you to know that when you get discouraged – when you’re not getting promoted or feeling fulfilled after far too long, you’re trying to forgive someone, say goodbye, find the energy for another 2am feeding, to tell the truth, quit smoking, deal with a diagnosis or change the way you do something because you know your kids are watching – you can always, and we mean always, find someone who will listen.
And please do. Because while we aren’t experts in almost anything (except snacks! We know snacks!), we do know this: you are the only you there is and that’s saying something. And whatever is happening in your life right now, it will look different tomorrow and the day after that. Maybe not drastically, but it will. Little by little. And your friends, family, even compassionate strangers will be there to help you along the way. Just ask. To rehearse your speech, take a test run, pick their brain, find the perfect outfit, the perfect words, the energy, the right time, any time. Call for back up. Or a hug. Or help cleaning your late mother’s closet and finding tissue, like now. Tell them you need someone to lean on, to drive you or pick you up, a good laugh or a shoulder to cry on. If you need a little tough love, you probably know where to find that, too. We heard this recently and forgive us for not knowing the original source: “We can be perfect alone or messy together.” We choose messy. Together.
