This is what life is like

By: Gabriela Yareliz

This isn’t a profound discourse, today. In fact, I was going to do my whole spiel on fertility, biological clocks (our damnation), and the OB-GYN, but I figured that could wait (you’re welcome). We can talk about that after a fun pelvic exam. The emotions will be a lot more raw, then. Also, is it just me, or is everyone pregnant, trying to get pregnant, depressed because they aren’t pregnant, or counting how many viable years they have to get pregnant? (More on this in another post). (@EarthyAndy’s pregnancy was goals, by the way). Me, I had a dream that I was pregnant and woke up in a sweat thanking my sweet Jesus I was not. Again, that post can wait.

As you know, (and if you didn’t, you are about to find out), people find me in times of crisis. It’s like emotional turmoil arrives, and my face is somehow the one that pops into people’s heads. I usually only get the texts that are the dreaded ones in normal people’s lives, therefore, I try to stay away from my phone and have disabled notifications. I am trying to keep cortisol down.

There are times when some of your most disastrous and heartbreaking moments in life hit you like a ton of bricks, and at other times, those moments feel far away.

It’s like you are standing there and thinking— wow, that was me, even though it seems like a lifetime ago. It’s like having an out-of-body experience with your own memories.

But this post isn’t about those moments. In fact, it’s about the exact opposite. I talk to a lot of people whose worlds are falling apart (triggering at times), but I think something that keeps coming to my mind is how so many people get stuck thinking about those sad moments or spend energy and time being tied to harmful, hurtful, narcissistic people or memories. Their joy is drained.

What if we focused on the moments and things that make us feel more alive? Sometimes, when you have endured so much pain, when joy comes into your life you have this lightbulb moment.

I have had moments like those. It may be an embrace, a sunset, a good apple picking, a quiet walk, a good laugh with a significant other— it’s those moments that make you say, “This is what life is like.” This is what you prayed life could be. See, it’s not all pain– there can be joy and wholeness.

I am writing this, short and sweet, today, to share that we need more of those moments. Create them. Place yourself in the way of them. Stay there for a bit.

So much of what ails us physically starts in our hearts and minds. Fear, unresolved anger, hurt. I hope we can heal our hearts and therefore heal our bodies. You owe yourself joy. I wish you so many moments, where you look around in awe and think, “This is what life is like.” We need more of those.