Your Needs Matter Too ❤️

I came across a Facebook post I wrote a while ago and instantly knew I wanted it to live here on my blog. Even though time has passed since I first wrote it, the emotions I felt and the advice I shared are still just as true today. I hope it meets someone who is where I was a few years ago.

Putting myself first has always been a struggle for me — and I know I'm not alone in that. Here’s what I wrote in the post. I pray it blesses you and meets you right where you are. ❤️

“The sound of the waves crashing on the shore is one of the most relaxing sounds on Earth.

This past year has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride, filled with emotional highs and lows. Sending my teenage son to live with a host family in another state — which ended up being a wonderful experience! — was a huge leap of faith. I celebrated the highest of highs when I welcomed my first grandchild into the world, and I experienced the deepest low when my mother-in-law passed away unexpectedly just a week before. With other major decisions and situations mixed in, it’s been a heavy season, to say the least.

And now, it feels like it’s all unraveling for me — like I’m just now beginning to process everything we’ve walked through in such a short time. The emotions are bubbling to the surface, the waves of complete joy and complete sorrow sometimes crashing into each other within the span of a single minute. Humans are amazing like that — holding so many emotions at once.

Lately, my soul has been craving the sound of the ocean — the peace it brings. I’ve always loved being near water, but never before have I needed it like I do now. It’s incredible how, when we take the time to really tune in to ourselves, our bodies will tell us exactly what we need.

As moms, we tend to shove that connection with ourselves to the back burner, always making sure everyone else is taken care of. But I’m learning I can’t do that anymore. To help my family through this season, I need to help myself too.

My needs matter too — a foreign concept for me, but one I’m determined to learn.

If you’re walking through something hard right now, I encourage you to pause and ask yourself: What do I need?

Your needs are important too. ❤️”