Faith. Women. Empowerment.

“ I don’t even know what I’m holding, I just know I’m carrying it.”

These words left my mouth as I handed a friend the cup I had grabbed as we rushed off from a table to tend to our little ones, who were in need of exploration in the middle of Union Station. 

As the words echoed back into my ears they circled around and slapped me in the face— Woah, isn’t that such a true statement?

We don’t realize the weight of what we are carrying until someone tries to reach and take some of the load off. Sure, we may know that life feels heavy but it’s not until we feel something, or someone, expire from our grasp that we truly are conscious of all that’s in our grasp. 

Life is so much more than weekdays and weekends. Going from Monday to Friday, to live in the peace of two days to check out and find yourself again, only to cut back to the grind of forging whatever it is or whoever it is we are trying to be. 

Life IS about emotion and experience, and the truth that is unveiled when both of those arrive at the center of one another.

And I never understood that until my full-time job became—experience and emotion and processing those all day long with two tiny humans, who are just trying to find and understand their places in this world. 

We are not meant to actively carry pieces of ourselves that have been healed and processed and laid to rest. It is not physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually possible.

We will forever hold the figment of that moment or memory with us, but to try and continue to carry what was meant to be planted in the garden of the strength it took to become you, would be chaos to your body, to your mind, to your soul. 

I realized in that moment with my friend, I must be more cognizant of what I am holding on to. It matters. You matter. The weight of what you are carrying must be inventoried.

So that we can, with precision, know the purpose behind what we hold our arms and our hearts around— and with gratitude for what has been, we can set sail for all that will be. 

• This picture was taken shortly after the statement was made in Union Station— these ceiling rosettes were original to the building before the renovation. During that time the originals were used to reconstruct the new pieces for the restoration project. Such an unveiling process of old to new— we never have to trash the parts of us that make us who we are today— just tear back the layers, and live in a less weighted version of yourself. 

Keep being brave friends! —HHH 🌻🌞🤍