27

Today I turn 27. I laid in my bed & when the clock struck midnight, I felt nothing close to magical. In fact, it was more morose than I’d like to admit.

Reflecting on the year behind, whether for a birthday or for the entrance of the new year, feelings are tinged with a soft grey-blue bland. The past year, really the past couple years, have piled onto the emotional burden I carry. With that increased weight, I feel more and more exhausted with each day. And I see my own feelings reflected in the people around me.

We all look a bit hunched from the stress of the past few years, both from worldwide disasters to personal tragedies. And yet, the earth spins on.

There is something beautifully painful in the way the world continues to move, when we ourselves can no longer lift our heavy legs. As we have struggled through isolation, death, stress, and pain; the seasons have changed. Birds still chirp in the morning. Flowers still bloom. Sunsets still paint the sky with bold, bright colors.

It’s these that bring me hope. Although the year(s) past have been extraordinarily difficult, our resilience stands strong. And though this next year has the opportunity to be just as exhausting, if not more, I hope that we all find moments to breathe.

You’ll find me, eyes closed, smelling the earth after it rains or taking in a sunset against the city skyline. Cheers to a new year, and may we all find our peaceful moments.