Rest

Hey girlie,

My heart is heavy with a message I think you need to hear. This might be something you already know or this may come as a complete surprise. Either way, this message is for you.

Trust me on one thing. I understand how you are feeling. Your life is far from what you thought it would be. You figured you would graduate college, get married, pursue your dream job, have kids, and it would all be okay. Yes, you knew there would be times of hardship, but you never believed it could be so painful and heartbreaking.

I see you...

I want you to do one thing right now. Forget about "the things" right now, the ones that keep you up and bring you to tears when you think about them. Forget that all. Just even for a second.

Grab your phone and text the person who you love the most and tell them y'all are going to spend a day together. A fun day. Who cares if you have to take one day off of work. When your life feels like it is in shambles, you need this. So go ahead, stop what you are doing and text them.

Okay, I am going to assume you have texted them. You are truly going to thank me for this! You need to step back from what seems so big in the moment and realize that you don't have to do everything perfect.

Today, I was reminded by my dear friend that we don't have to have our life all together. It takes people years and years to find the things that bring them joy and to be in a place where they truly want to be. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself to have the perfect life in your 20s.. or 30s.. or 40s... or 50s! First off, there is no such thing as the perfect life, and secondly, it takes time. It takes risks. It takes doing the things that scare you. Take a moment to breath and allow yourself some time to have fun.

This past week my husband and I grabbed our swimsuit, our dog Maggie, cooking stuff, and towels and headed out to the lake. We needed a day where we could escape our home and the everyday world and be able to enjoy each other's company. No, we didn't escape from every worry, but, we were able to discuss them with a more level head. We make turkey burgers and asparagus (yeah... eh... but we just started Weight Watchers) and enjoy watching our pup run and play in the lake. We ended it by sitting in the hammock and just chit chatting about life. It was truly wonderful.

Sometimes we need days like this. In fact, we need days like this more than we think. In my opinion, if we have more days that we are truly miserable then days where we are truly happy... what are we doing!? We get ONE life. Each day is one we will never get back. So do the things that make you happy and escape with your loved ones when you need to.

Do what is healthy for you. We need to stop worrying about what our family or friends may think. At the end of the day, you HAVE to do what is right for you. And this is SO hard my friend. I know!

Know that there is not a person who has gotten where they want to be without doing the hard things. The things that people question and doubt. Also, know that the people who don't do the hard things are the people who have stayed in a place of complacency all their life. It's not worth it, friend. Let's decide today we won't look back and wish we would have taken more risks and chased the things that excite us. Let's do them now!

Let's take care of ourselves. My mom reminded me the other day that we cannot help others put their breathing mask on until we have ours on first. Take the time to heal and rejuvenate. You are worth it!

I truly wish you an amazing weekend. Try testing out the day of rest. It will be worth it.

Thank you for reading my friend. Your support means the world!

Chandler

P.S. Here are a few pictures from our rest day.