Adulting is difficult and filled with many not so pretty moments. It is easy to think otherwise when turning to social media and catching glimpses of other people’s lives. It is easy to feel like everyone else has it together while you can barely get yourself dressed each morning. Remind yourself today that you are doing great and that we are all scrambling through the day to keep our lives together. Wherever you find yourself right now, know that you are not alone. You are not alone in your struggle, in your joy, in your embarrassment, in your pain, or in your glory.
The past two years have been a whirlwind for me in my personal life: I have lived in three different states, held four different jobs, and since moving back to Dallas a little over a year ago, I have lived in three different spaces. Before moving into Bonhoeffer house, where I am currently living, I lived with my grandmother in a retirement community. I lived out of a suitcase and slept on a pull-out bed in her living room for 2 months. Let’s just say that my pride took a blow. Everyone around me seemed to have it all together while I was so heavily depending on others to make ends meet. While as a 21-year-old, living in a retirement community was not my residence of choice, it was an incredible time to deepen my relationship with my grandmother and get to know her and her community better. It is a time I am beyond thankful for, and here is what I learned:
I learned that everyone depends on others to survive, everyone needs support from time to time, and everyone is trying their best to make ends meet. Community is essential. Having a community of people surrounding you, in whatever form that manifests itself, is what really matters. It doesn’t matter where you are, what you are doing, or how you look doing it; the people who surround you, support you, love you, and share themselves with you are what make life count.
Today, take a moment to reflect on the communities you inhabit. May they fill you with life, hope, love, and joy. May you give them life, hope, love and joy in return. On those days you feel like a fraud or adulting is too difficult and it is a challenge to get dressed, remember that you are not alone. We are all trying our best, and you are doing great.
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