Sometimes you just have to put on some lipstick and pretend to be psyched

Here’s the reality – no one knows what you’re going through. They don’t know your pain, your loss, your heartache. They don’t understand that some days it takes everything you have just to show up. They could never imagine how hard it is to fight the battle that you’ve got going on inside your heart & mind – and you wouldn’t even want them to, because it’s unbearable and you wouldn’t wish this pain on your worst enemy.

They will also never be able to truly appreciate how courageous it is that you DO show up. You are mastering the art of looking composed & internally hyping yourself up!

You are determined to live and smile and do everything you can to push through and live as “normal” as possible

But I see you.

I know what you’re doing.

I love you and am so proud of you.

Every day is a battle between living life or being swallowed up by grief. Somedays life wins, other days it’s the grief.

Eventually, it will get better and there will be more days where you don’t have to pretend as much – but until then, just do what you can and know that that IS enough!

And maybe in the meantime, we get really good at pretending until eventually it feels less and less like pretend and more like normal life again … I don’t know for sure, but Im hopeful.

My prayer for all of us today is that we are kind to ourselves and we acknowledge how strong we truly are. God is with us to give us the peace we can’t find on our own.

XO Tay