I started taking photos of myself/places in particularly full moments, in all of thanksgiving-like-abundantly-full ones, to-the-brim-like-heart-bursting-frustrating-full ones, and everything in between. I think the hope is to remember that ALL of these Hannahs matter— they are all me! It is not just my preferred versions that make me me, neither is it that just my especially proud days make my life. Social media is sneaky in creating this catch-22 cycle of performance, of trying to somehow PROVE worth and then becoming shackled to comparison and criticism. I’ve heard it from clients, from friends, from therapists, and even in myself. It’s humbling to admit that I am affected by these things: by society, by culture, by family, by my own story, and even the soothing mask of the others’ approval. And in the fight to not succumb to any one of these, I’ve found that it is less a fight about numbing myself of these and that it is more of a resolve to filling myself with Truth. . . Whew, so as minuscule as this seems, I want to also take photos that remind myself of Truth and that lead me to REST again in kindness and grace. Today, I am excited to celebrate SO many things and still I want so much to remember this Hannah. Maybe not so impressive to others, but! Incredibly meaningful to me and my story. This photo of an anxious, undesirably senioritis-stricken, and raw-hearted Hannah who was trying, even if just by a teensy tinesy mustard-seed like try. 😊🌳 . . #bigeyelid #istiredeyelid #iscryingeyelid #isrealeyelid #itsokay #to #notbeokay #notselfesteem #butselfcompassion #kindness #therapy #issupport #weall #needsupport #weall #needTruth . . If you’d like to talk (even a wee bit more), please know you can contact me! If not with me, I know some pretty neat individuals and some pretty sweet therapists. 😊
