I have felt

I have felt alone in the darkest moments of my life AND in what should be the brightest moments.
I have felt pain that goes beyond anything I would ever want anyone to feel.
I have felt sadness to the point where I did not believe I would ever feel okay again.
I have felt loss that has crippled me every day for months, for years, and has left an empty feeling inside.
I have felt fear that took up so much space in my mind all the time, that I could not feel joy.
I have felt heartache that to this day still feels heavy on my chest.
I have felt shame for things I have done and still re-live that shame over and over like a horror movie playing through my mind.
I have felt like I cannot breathe for moments, for days, for weeks.
I have felt so weak that I cannot find strength when I need it the most.
I have felt that one more comment, one more conversation, one more embrace, would be the last straw and I would fall into pieces at the mercy of something more powerful than I.

I have opened myself up to feeling so much of this but it doesn’t stop at loss or fear or shame or sadness.

I have also felt joy.
I have felt peace.
I have felt acceptance.
I have felt freedom.
I have felt appreciation.
I have felt proud.
I have felt excitement.
I have felt hopeful.
I have felt love.

In all of these experiences that I have lived through, in each of these moments, through all of these lessons, I have felt faith and trust.

These times of struggle do not define who I am but rather how far I have come, that I am open to feeling it all, that I am stronger than I ever realized and more supported and loved than I could ever imagine.

For everything YOU have been through, are still moving through, have overcome or are still overcoming; take a moment to acknowledge yourself.

You are perfect just the way you are and YOUR PEOPLE wouldn’t have YOU any other way.

Written by: Kelly Nightingale