If I could say anything to you, friend, it's that you are worthy. As we continue striving for a sense of normalcy, we humans are doing what we do best: adapting. We're learning and stretching as we go about our daily rituals that may look completely different from this time last year. With so much going on in our lives, both big-picture and close-to-home, it's important to take care of yourself, too, especially when you're taking care of others.
Some of you may be familiar with the adage "You can only pour out what you pour into yourself." A friend of mine added on, "If you spill over a cup of hot coffee, you will burn yourself. Why? Not because the cup was knocked over, but because the contents are hot. If a cup of cold milk is spilled the exact same way, you won't be burned at all because the cup is filled with soothing, nurturing milk." In the same way, for myself personally, I can tell if I am truly taking care of myself by my reactions: what is my cup filled with? In this time of change, stress, and uncertainty, I only ask that you take care of yourself, too. Take the time to do things that make you feel more like yourself. As busy as we are, it could mean just sending a quick text to a friend. Maybe sitting in silence (is there such a thing?) helps you feel grounded. As you're reading this, though, just take a deep breath and fill yourself up, then breathe out slowly. And please, speak kindly to yourself. You are so worthy of kindness and respect, especially from yourself. The love you give is a worthy gift, friend.