A bittersweet life update 😌

Long time no blog 😬 It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything on this blog. Honestly, I think it became a bit too much for me to post regularly on here and to write my monthly email newsletter.  However, I think most of you probably subscribe to that newsletter so you haven't missed much. 

A lot has happened since March 2021 (when I last posted on here) including: celebrating years seven and eight in Romania, making some big shifts in ministry, working with Ukrainian refugees, moving out of my beloved apartment in the citadel, unexpectedly losing my dad to a motorcycle accident, going on two home assignments to raise support, taking a three month sabbatical in the States, and so much more that I can't even list. 

I recently sent out my October email newsletter, with this life update included, but I also wanted to put it in a blog post for those of you who might not be subscribed to my newsletter. 

In December, I will be leaving my home in Romania after almost nine years and moving back home to America. I made this decision a few months ago, but it's something that's been stirring in my heart for a while.

A common question I've been asked as I've shared this news with people is if something specific happened that led to this decision. No, there wasn't one major, or even minor, event that brought me to this point. It's been a gradual process of paying attention to God's leading over the last little while, and it feels like the time has come.

It's hard to even pinpoint exactly when the question of "Is it time to leave Romania?" popped into my heart and mind. For years, I never even considered it as an option, even when times were tough. When it started floating around in my mind, I knew I needed to pay attention.

That's often how it works with me. I realize that a certain thought or idea is popping up more often than before so I start to pay more attention to it. I journal about it, pray about it, find some podcasts about the general topic, etc. I also bring it up with close friends and mentors, paying close attention to those conversations. Before long, it's usually obvious that all of those little things are pointing in the same direction.

And then, in this specific scenario, someone close to me said "you'll know when you know" over breakfast. In that moment, I knew that I knew (it was time to leave Romania), but I wasn't ready to officially make the decision. About a month later, while I was doing some guided journaling about decision making, a question was proposed and that was it! I knew it was time to officially make the decision.

When I made the decision to come to Romania, I had such a deep peace about it even though none of it made sense and I had no idea what life in Romania would look like. Now, with the decision to leave, I have that same deep peace. While it's very bittersweet, I know that it's time to go, even though I don't know what life in America will look like.

Since I made the decision, I've been doing all of the planning that comes with a big change like this one. I've been talking to Nazarene Global Missions, gradually telling people here in Romania, tying up loose ends related to ministry, packing stuff that friends were able to take back for me ahead of my departure, etc. It's been quite the process!

Again, I'm not entirely sure what's next, but I'm not too worried about figuring it out right now. I'm trying to stay present in my remaining time in Romania before planning and prepping for what's next. I'm glad I'll be able to take some time to readjust to life in America and everything that comes with that big change.

These last (almost) nine years would not have been possible without you, my people. Thank you so much for your constant support through prayer, finances, words of encouragement, etc. You've made this season of life so much better than I could have even imagined. I honestly believe that what helped me stick around as long as I did was the knowledge that I had such an incredible support system surrounding me. I cannot thank you enough.

SIX

Can someone explain to me how it's been SIX years since I first arrived in Romania? I'm having a hard time comprehending this concept. I feel like I just wrote this post about celebrating five years in Romania. And here are years four and two, if you're interested. Apparently I skipped years three and one!

As I think about the last six years here, I'm feeling very grateful. I don't know if the chaos of 2020 is magnifying that gratitude or if I'm just grateful, but either way, that's what stands out as I process the last six years. 

I'm grateful for the good, the growth, the challenges, the loneliness, the deep relationships, the adventures, etc. All of it. I've said this many times before, but the last six years have not been easy, by any stretch of the imagination. The last six years have been challenging and rewarding and messy and beautiful and humbling. It's been A LOT, to say the least. 

I think it can be easy to compare our lives to other people's lives and feel like we haven't done much or that we don't have anything to celebrate or be grateful for. (Confession: This is something I deal with constantly.) Anyways, I know living in another country can seem special or glamorous to some people, but again, it's so hard and comes with so many challenges. 

Wherever you live, whatever you do...it's important and special and valuable. You were placed where you are for a reason. There's work to be done there. There are people to love and serve there. There are things for you to learn...and ways for you to grow there. 

Whether you're approaching an anniversary of working somewhere, living somewhere, being married, becoming a parent, volunteering somewhere, going to school somewhere, etc., I would encourage you to celebrate! Look back at the days, weeks, months or years that you've spent doing that thing or being in that place, and notice all of the ways you've grown! Make a list of things you're grateful for. Celebrate where you are and how far you've come!

Morgan Harper Nichols

Currently: Part IX

Can someone help me understand how I haven't written a Currently post since the end of 2017?! I went back through my posts to find one so I could remember the order of things, and I was shocked to see how long it's been. Oops. 

Honestly, I've been wanting to write a blog post for awhile now, but I haven't felt like I've had anything to say. And that's where the Currently post comes in handy because it's like a little guide that helps me to share a little bit of what's going on in my life right now. 

Reading: I am currently reading Fighting Forward by Hannah Brencher and loving it! This book released on the day I left for Romania. Since I pre-ordered it, I was hoping and praying that it would get delivered before I left for the airport...and IT DID! I started reading it in the airport, and then I took a little break. Sometimes, with nonfiction, I have to read it slowly in order to fully digest the contents. And this book is FULL of good stuff so I'm taking my time and trying not to underline every word Hannah wrote. The subtitle is "Your nitty-gritty guide to beating the lies that hold you back", which is something I'm majorly needing these days. 

Click here for this recipe and lots of other filling ideas.

Eating: I have been loving this viral tortilla/wrap hack from Tik Tok. I don't have Tik Tok, but I tend to see them on Instagram. The basic idea is that you lay out a tortilla and cut vertically, from the middle to the edge. You then fill each 1/4 with whatever goodies you'd like and cook it in a pan with a little butter or oil. This hack stops things from falling out like they usually do when you wrap it like a taco or burrito. It's genius. 

I've been doing a simple ham, cheese, veggies and sauce one for lunch, but last night I made a dessert one with banana, strawberry and nutella! SO GOOD. For someone like me, who hates to cook, this is literally the best hack ever. You can fill it with whatever you have on hand and, voila, it's a meal! I'm going to try the taco/crunchwrap one soon, as well as a breakfast one!

Thinking About: Excellent question. I've been thinking about a lot of things, most of which I'm not ready to blog about. However, something I was just thinking about last night is whether or not I'm going to choose a word for 2021 since it's already January 26th. As you might know, I usually choose "one little word" at the beginning of each year in place of making resolutions. I usually think and pray about a word and allow it to guide me, more or less, throughout the year. You can read about my previous words here: 2020, 2019 and 2018.

For some reason, I haven't chosen one for 2021. I haven't really wanted to up until this point. I don't think it's ever too late to choose one so maybe I'll change my mind, but for now, I don't have a word for the year.

Listening to: Audiobooks! Not sure if this answer should go in the Reading or Listening to category, but I feel like this one is more appropriate. I've never really been a huge fan of audiobooks. I've tried to listen to them in the past, but I always got distracted so easily. I ended up having to go back (Can I say rewind when talking about an audiobook?) and listen to the same part over and over again. That was annoying and seemed like a waste of time so I gave up on audiobooks.

I'm not sure what's changed, but I'm loving audiobooks these days. I have been trying not to scroll endlessly on social media before bed, and, instead, I'm listening to an audiobook. When I'm cooking meals, doing the dishes or hanging my laundry, I'm listening to an audiobook. I used to just listen to podcasts while doing these types of mindless tasks, but now I might put on an audiobook instead.

For the most part, I've been listening to fiction books. I think, with nonfiction books, I'm always trying to absorb and process every bit of information, but the problem is that I'm not an auditory learner. While I'm trying to process what I've just heard, I'm missing what's being said next...and that's where I start needing to rewind constantly. With fiction, I'm just listening to a story and not necessarily needing to process the information so it works! 

Anyways, I use an app called Libby that allows you to borrow audiobooks (and ebooks) from your local library. Highly recommend. Also, I listen to books (and podcasts) on either 1.5x or 1.75x speed, which means I can get through them pretty quickly. 

That Sounds Fun by Annie F. Downs: This audiobook was a freebie if you pre-ordered a physical copy of the book, which I obviously did because I'm a huge AFD fan. It was like a really long That Sounds Fun podcast episode, which means I loved it. I'm excited to also read the physical book whenever I can finally get my hands on it. 

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry: Someone I follow on Instagram (@alltheradreads) shared this book and it seemed like an easy read/listen. I really enjoyed it. Lots of characters to follow, but such a lovely story. And it's centered around a dreamy bookshop so OF COURSE I loved it. 

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han: I was browsing through the available audiobooks on the Libby app and this one popped up. I love the movie and, a little while ago, a friend told me that the book was way better. When is the movie ever better than the book?! NEVER. I loved all of the extra details in the book, while also being able to picture the characters and scenes from the movie. I'm almost done with the second book in this series and I will be borrowing the third one after that. 

Watching: I am watching a Spanish series on Netflix called La Casa de Papel, also known as Money Heist. According to IMDB, it's about "an unusual group of robbers who attempt to carry out the most perfect robbery in Spanish history - stealing 2.4 billion euros from the Royal Mint of Spain".

It started in 2017, and I heard SO much about it back then, mostly from my teens, but never had much of an interest in it. For whatever reason, I decided to start watching it last week and I'm ALL IN. The storyline, the character development...all of it. I love it. 

Loving: Hmm...what am I loving? Honestly, I really want to say audiobooks, again. I always want to be reading more, and it seems as though I've found a way to do so. Sadly, I go through major phases of reading a ton and then not reading at all, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to stay in the "reading a ton" phase, thanks to audiobooks.

And there you have it. A look at what I'm currently reading, eating, thinking about, listening to, watching and loving. As always, thanks for following along. And if you want to share some of your Currently items, I'd love to hear them!

I first saw the "Currently" feature on the blog Sometimes Sweet, which was a blog by Dani Hampton. The blog doesn't exist anymore, but I still want to give credit where credit is due.

One Second Everyday in 2020

 

2020, what a year. I won't say all of the cliche things because we all know how the year was. Even if we didn't take a single photo or video, it was truly one that we'll never forget. Okay, I had to say at least one cliche thing! 

Like I did in 2017, 2018 and 2019, I continued to document my days, weeks and months with the 1 Second Everyday app. As much as I want to be consistent in blogging, journaling and taking photos, in an effort to document my life, I can never seem to keep up with those habits. But I've found my method...my 1 Second Everyday videos.

If you haven't already downloaded this app, I would strongly encourage you to do so. It takes some getting use to and you have to train yourself a little bit to be on the look out for a daily moment to record, but it's so worth it. Try something new in 2021!

And with that, I hope you enjoy a look at my year of 2020 in one second videos. 

Announcing...courage + co

As you may remember, I wrote a blog post back on October 1st about how I felt like I was in a season of transition. I wrote the post while I was sitting in the Bucharest airport, waiting for the bus to take me home to Sighisoara. Here's a tiny part of that post...

"I feel like change is coming. I don’t know what kind of change(s). I don’t know when things will change. I don’t know why things will change. I just feel like God is taking me into a new season."

Back then, I had no idea what that change was going to be. I was confused, scared, overwhelmed, anxious, etc., and I didn't even know how to take the next step. But now, various changes have been made and I'm excited to share them with you!

So...drumroll please...I will be starting a brand new teen program called "courage + co"! Yay! 

This program will aim to help young people feel seen, heard and loved through intentional relationships (with self, others, community) and courageous conversations. And the "co" represents "connect, cultivate and create", which are themes that the different groups will focus on as they move through the program. 

In order to get here, to a place where I felt like I could start a new program, I had to step away from some other roles and responsibilities. After months of praying, journaling, reflecting, listening, etc., I knew it was time to officially make some changes...

At the beginning of this year, I stepped away from the Romanian Studies Program (RSP), where I was serving as the On-site Coordinator for American university students who came to do their practicums with Veritas and/or the church programs. This is the program that brought me to Romania in 2015.

I thought that "the big change" was going to be just stepping away from RSP, but even after making that decision, I knew there was something else. That feeling led to more praying and reflecting in the spring, which eventually led me to another change...

In June, I met with the executive director and board president of Veritas, the nonprofit organization that I have been working with since I came to Romania, to talk about my departure from the organization. Veritas had been a huge part of my work in Romania since the very beginning. The It Takes Courage (ITC) programs that I co-led for five years fell under the umbrella of Veritas’ educational programs. I had also worked very closely with the Kids’ Club program when I first came, and supervised the RSP students in various Veritas programs. In addition to these two major roles, I also helped a lot with marketing and fundraising for Veritas. Basically, Veritas was a pretty major part of my work/life in Romania over the last five and a half years. 

I was pretty nervous about giving my notice at Veritas. It had been such a difficult decision to make, and I didn't want it to seem like it was a flippant decision, or that I was upset and leaving because of any major issue. A lot of things had happened over the last year...Adela (my ITC co-leader) went on maternity leave, our program was going to be moving buildings, various other unknowns were up ahead (and this was pre-COVID!), etc. These things, and an unsettled feeling in my heart, led me to this decision. Thankfully, the conversation where I gave my notice went very well, and at one point, someone said, ”I’m just glad there will still be an educational program like It Takes Courage in our community”. And that felt like further confirmation that this was the right decision.

"Further confirmation" has actually been a huge part of this journey. With almost every step that I took, I received confirmation in one form or another. In conversations with others, both with people who knew I was making changes and those who didn't, a comment, question or idea would be said that confirmed something I was thinking/feeling/doing. I had one incredibly vivid dream about a week after having two major conversations, related to all of the changes. Despite the fear and anxiety of the whole situation, I found myself feeling peace more often than not. I kept taking a step and then another step. I just kept doing the next right thing. (Side note: go listen to The Next Right Thing podcast and read the book too!)

And now, I'd like to officially invite you to join me on this exciting new adventure! There are lots of different ways for you to get involved...

- Listen to the new Chosen Voices podcast episode where I share more details about courage + co and the story behind it. 

- Purchase a cute t-shirt or sweatshirt from my Bonfire fundraiser. Proceeds will help me purchase items for the program space. 

- If you'd be interested in supporting courage + co's ongoing program budget and/or my work in Romania, you can give at my personal giving link (all donations are tax deductible). 

- Sign up for my email newsletter, Coffee & Courage, that I send out monthly with personal and ministry updates.

- And, last but not least, all prayers are appreciated. Prayers for guidance as I continue to make decisions and plan for the program...for physical health...for wisdom in leading a program during the time of COVID-19...and for the teenagers, that they will feel seen, heard and loved in this new program.

Art by Morgan Harper Nichols

I cannot tell you how excited I am for courage + co to start! This year, I will meet with two separate groups (a connect group and a cultivate group) during the week, as well as planning some other events (create) like service opportunities, meals together, game/movie nights, etc. All of these activities will be held in the church building, and I'll be sure to share some photos when the space is finished and ready for the program! 

In addition to starting this program, I will continue to work out in the village at the child development center. I miss those kiddos SO much, and I cannot wait to see their sweet little faces! I will also be helping to lead the local youth group at the church in town (where courage + co will take place). This will be a new challenge, but I'm excited to meet some new teens! 

So there you go. An announcement, an invitation, a story, etc. Lots of new things happening over here. Thank you, as always, for your unwavering support! You, my people, are truly the best. I am grateful for each and every one of you. 

One Little Word: a mid-year check-in

Well, we're a little more than halfway through 2020 and I thought I'd do a mid-year check-in on my one little word for this year: create. I'm going to be super honest and say that I'm not doing very well with the "goals" that I set related to my word for this year. However, I know that I have to give myself some grace because 2020 has looked nothing like we thought it would...and there have been some major unforeseen circumstances.

I say this, not only for myself, but for you as well. Give yourself grace if your 2020 goals don't look the way you thought they would. Because, well, 2020 hasn't exactly looked the way any of us thought it would.

So, without further ado, here's my mid-year check-in for create. And might I add, that I'm actually writing this post and processing through this more for me than for you (as is true for a lot of my blog posts), but I'm glad you're along for the ride!

Create beautiful things

When I came up with this one, I was thinking almost specifically of art journaling. While I do have a few different art-focused pages in my journal (mostly all prior to March-April), I haven't done nearly as many as I would have liked. However, I feel like I've written a lot more in my journal than in years past, which, to me, feels like I've created beautiful memories to look back on. Even today, as I look back through my journal, I feel like I'm creating this beautiful "thing" that will serve me well for years to come.

Other beautiful things that I've created in the first six months of the year:

• Spotify playlists: Music is everything. I tend to make a playlist for each season (ex. Spring 2020, Summer 2020, etc.), and I have them saved from as far back as 2015. I loooove going back and listening to each of them because they really transport me back to that time in my life. And, as you can probably imagine, I created a playlist, or five, during quarantine. 

• A cozy apartment: While this isn't specific to the first six months of 2020, I've definitely made a few cozy changes to my apartment, specifically during quarantine, since I'm spending A LOT more time here these days. I've had a few people over in the last month or so and almost every single person has commented on how cozy and peaceful my apartment is. For an introverted homebody and enneagram 9 (if you don't know how that's relevant, ignore it), that's a high, high compliment. My apartment is really my sacred space. I feel incredibly blessed to live in such a beautiful place, which includes this apartment, whole house, medieval citadel, beautiful city, gorgeous country, etc. I am grateful that I get to create beautiful things in this beautiful space. 

• Oils & Courage: Just this month, I created a new space on Instagram to share about my love for essential oils and toxin-free products from Young Living. I've been using oils and other YL products since 2018. I share quite often with my friends, like I'd share about a really good cup of coffee or cozy slippers, and I finally decided it was time to expand my circle and share with more people. Young Living has an optional business side that helps people to gain financial freedom, and, as a partner funded missions worker with student loans, I'm allllll about some financial freedom. I am the farthest thing from a pushy salesperson (do you even know me?!), but if you're curious about oils and toxin-free living, you know how to find me!

Create space for my soul to breathe

Well, this one was pretty much given to me, thanks to a mandatory lockdown from mid-March to mid-May, and even after that, as I still spend much more time at home compared to before. I could lie and tell you that I truly made the most of every second of that lockdown (and the time since then)...that I woke up early every day without checking social media first thing...that I drank coffee and read every single morning...that I wrote down 5 things I'm grateful for every day without missing a single one. NOPE. I didn't do any of those things perfectly. I mean, other than drinking coffee every day...you know me! 

I feel like I actually did okay up until mid-June, and then I kind of hit a wall. The wall of "is this way of living ever going to end?!" that I'm sure many of you are familiar with by now. But, I am happy to say that I gave myself a pep talk last Sunday evening. This past week, I woke up earlier than usual. I didn't check social media as soon as I woke up...or even until after I had done some reading or listened to a peaceful podcast of some kind. Small steps, people, small steps! 

Create margin for God

Much like that last one, I did okay with this one for awhile and then kind of veered off track. I was doing different Bible reading plans, listening to sermons, podcasts, daily worship from churches, reading books and articles, journaling my prayers and thoughts...all of the things. And then I kind of just stopped. I think I may have overwhelmed myself with too much information, which I have a tendency to do.

In the last few weeks, I've tried to narrow it down a bit. One of the things I've really been wanting to focus on is reading and better understanding the Bible. I started Angie Smith's Seamless study with a friend, and we have one more week to go. Honestly, I've put off starting this last week because I don't want to be done with the study! Silly, but that's what I do! Anyways, I'd highly recommend this study to anyone who is wanting to better "understand the Bible as one complete study", which is the subtitle!

Create a difference in the lives of others

This one is hard for me to measure. I would love to say that I've been creating huge differences in the lives of those around me, but I really don't know if that's true. I definitely feel like some connections with various teens and young adults have deepened in the first half of the year, which is incredibly exciting. I've been able to have some serious conversations about life and relationships...and even a few conversations about God! I often feel extremely unqualified in these types of conversations because I surely don't have life, relationships or God all figured out, but it's definitely a humbling privilege to know that the teens/young adults feel comfortable talking to me about these big issues.

In addition to these conversations, I was able to have a small group of girls from the village over to my apartment a few weeks ago, along with Roxana (leader of the children's program in the village). The children's program still isn't meeting, but Roxana has started meeting with her smaller preteen girls' group again. During a conversation with Roxana, I told her that I'd love to have her and the girls over to my apartment sometime, and a week later, they were here!

While there weren't any monumental moments during this fun "girls' day out", it felt like Roxana and I were able to invest in them in a new way. We talked about life. We talked about their hopes and dreams. We talked about their futures. Roxana and I both felt like this day, a day out of the village and their normal routine, opened their eyes up to new possibilities...and to hope. After returning to the village, Roxana and I chatted for a few hours about the day (and lots of other things). We both felt like this day was one neither of us would forget...and we were pretty sure the girls would never forget it either!

There are so many unknowns that lie ahead related to programs. But, regardless of what official programs look like in September, I know there will always be opportunities to invest in the lives of others, and I'm excited about that.

And there we have it! A mid-year check-in on my one little word for the year: create. It's so hard to know what the rest of the year will look like, but I feel like I can definitely move forward in each of these areas whether we return to how things were before (ha ha ha) or go back to a more restricted season (please, no!). It's interesting how I chose this word (or it chose me) at the start of the year, before any of us knew what 2020 would bring, and yet it feels like the perfect word. 

Here's to the second half of 2020...

...to creating more beautiful things

...more space for my soul to breathe

...more margin for God

...and more of a difference in the lives of others!

adjust accordingly

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I have thoroughly enjoyed Jess Connolly and Katie Walters' Made Up Morning Show. Thankfully, they've figured out how to save them on IGTV so you can go back and watch the shows from last week. Basically, the goal of each show is to give the viewers a strength tip and a joy tip, and to offer some encouragement during this strange time we're all living in.

Jess' strength tip from yesterday was "adjust accordingly", and those two words are exactly what I needed to hear.

One thing that I've been thinking about a lot is our next/new normal. I know this is something we're all thinking about and navigating through, and it's just been so heavy on my heart. There are still soooo many unknowns related to programs and ministry, my trip to the States this summer, what the fall is going to look like, etc.

But I think the biggest fear I have right now, as the world opens back up, is that we're all going to go back to "normal". I'm afraid that the world is going to return to the busy, chaotic pace that none of us can keep up with. I'm afraid that we're going to try to make up for the weeks and months that we've "lost"...even though I feel so strongly that we have not lost this time, nor can we make up for everything we wanted/needed to do during this time.

And more than that, I think deep down I'm afraid that I am going to return to the busy, chaotic pace.

I'm afraid that I'm going to get up and go at the last minute in the mornings, instead of enjoying the peace that comes with a slow morning of coffee drinking, Bible/book reading and music listening.

I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to effectively communicate to others my desire to keep a slower pace. Of course, I'm not here, in Romania or on earth, to sit in my house, but I'm also not here to go go go until I burnout and crash.

I'm also afraid that I'm going to be so excited to spend time with my people that I do one of two things...potentially put myself at risk by exposing myself to too many people too soon...and/or...fill my days and nights with time with friends (in person and online) and neglect the me time that I so desperately need to survive and thrive as an introvert living cross-culturally.

I'm afraid that I won't be able to find balance in our new normal. 

And this is where I circle back around to adjust accordingly. I am going to have to give myself grace, give others grace, and adjust accordingly. It's as simple as that...and yet I know it won't be simple at all.

Photo by Mathyas Kurmann on Unsplash

During yesterday's episode of the show, Jess used the imagery of waves. She talked about seeing these waves of defeat and disappointment (and I would even add fear) that are coming at us, and how we're standing in the tension of the tide. She talked about the importance of not trying to hold the waves back, but rather to pay attention to where each wave is coming from.

She went through a number of questions that we can ask the wave and/or ourselves as the waves come in. Where did the wave come from? Where does the wave need to go? Where will the wave be the most effective? Do I need to send the wave away? Is this wave a lie from the enemy? Is this a wave of grief that I need to make space for? Where can the wave empower my life the most right now?

I realize that this might seem pretty abstract, but hopefully you understand what I'm trying to say...through what Jess was trying to say. And actually, Katie stressed the importance of paying attention to what we're thinking and how we're feeling. We need to give ourselves time and allow ourselves to get quiet in order to let these thoughts/feelings come in. She suggested journaling ways that we've grown in the last 8 weeks (or however many)...as well as to note what we've overcome. But also, as we're thinking and/or journaling about this, to do so without shame, judgment, discouragement, etc.

While I consider myself to be a fairly emotional person, I'm not great at recognizing my feelings and feeling them. I tend to push them down and avoid them...especially the hard feelings like fear, sadness, grief, etc. But, I think to be able to adjust accordingly in a healthy way, I need to know what I'm thinking and how I'm feeling.

So...hopefully you've found some encouragement in all of these words. I recognize that they aren't super organized or clear, but the main idea is to give yourself and others grace as you adjust accordingly.

A recent sunset from my balcony