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there is bliss on the other side of the inferno, at the bottom of the staircase

and to love ourselves we have to be prepared to truly know ourselves

only then can we muster the compassion required to love ourselves even in our worst moments

that is healing, true healing

9 years with this little puppy

What would I do without you

One of the hardest parts of leaving Seattle was leaving behind this little bench. My grandma Alice and I once sat there together. After she died, I liked to sit there to feel closer to her. I could hear the sound of her laugh and the way she said my name. I could see her smiling at me, her eyes, and felt her holding my hand. I didn’t want to move to New York City because it wouldn’t have that bench, a place where we were together.

..

But my memory of her lives in my body, and wherever my body is, she is with me. Wherever I am, the love she showed me is with me, as are the lessons she taught me, the generosity of her heart, and her zest for adventure.

..

In my grief this past year, I think I forgot how to let myself feel joy and hold onto it. I lost a part of myself. I know she would want me to find it again. She’d remind me to embrace all there is to love about being alive and all the good. She’d tell me gratitude gives us strength. It’s what holds us over.

A friend crashed at our place.

10 years of dates, 5 years of marriage ♡