Read This If Today Was Hard

Today was a hard day. 

Maybe you woke up and struggled to get out of bed (or maybe you didn’t get out of bed at all). Maybe it started okay but became progressively worse—maybe you were completely blindsided by an unexpected sadness. Maybe you’ve felt this way for a while, longer than you’d like to admit, but it doesn’t change this truth:

Today was a hard day.

It’s okay if you need to cry. It’s okay if you need to bury yourself in a blanket for a while. People will try to convince you that there’s something wrong with indulging in these feelings, but mental pain is just as serious as physical pain. Sometimes to recuperate, you have to sit with the hurt and let yourself simply exist. Not everyone will understand, but that’s okay—you have to do what’s best for your healing.

The truth is, some days it’s hard to see the beauty in life. The bright side seems to dim and you fear you’ll never be able to navigate yourself out of the darkness. It’s okay to be scared or unsure of where you’re supposed to go from here. Just keep your eyes peeled for the lighthouses along the way—the people who love you, the moments of unexpected lightness, the words that touch your soul. They’re always there to guide you, even in those moments when you swear you’ll never find them.

Today was a hard day. It probably wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last—that is a guarantee. The good thing is that the easy days are a guarantee, too. The days that will make you laugh and smile; the days that will make you feel loved and understood. It’s easy to lose sight of them on the bad days. It’s easy to convince yourself there’s no good left up ahead. But emotions pass, as do nearly all situations; your reality now will not be your reality forever. 

And I know it’s not easy to trust the words of a stranger who does not know your situation personally. You may feel like these are all empty platitudes, worn out cliches, soon-to-be-broken promises. It’s true that I do not know you, and it’s true that I don’t know what you’re going through, but I do know this: You are worth hoping the best for. You are worthy of beautiful things. And when the good days come, you will deserve them.

And whether you believe me or not, I promise that they’re coming.

I hope these words find you like a warm hug, like a cup of tea with a loved one, like a hand reaching out to pull you from the water.

Today was a bad day, but it won’t be bad forever. I hope tomorrow will be better.