I give you permission…

to life interrupted
future plans deferred
and emotions erupted
living day by day

to grieve for lost friends
lost things
lost ways
lost selves

to accept lack of closure
not knowing
and at times
not even caring

to be human at work
meetings disrupted
uninformed decisions
and missing deadlines

to be angry and resentful
at government failures
at good people doing stupid things
and even at yourself

to lost hope at times
times you didn’t tell anyone
and barely admitted to yourself
those dark dark dark days

Yet I also give you permission…

to hope once again
in a new normal
new engaged self
and new fuller life

to paint new life plans
brighter then before
bolder then before
more open to pivots

to experience new joys
ones not previously discovered
or perhaps rediscovered again
and new depths of joy

to love deeply and passionately
build new relationships
grow current ones
and forgive old ones

to untether from fear
to believe in something greater
even in face of the unknowns
unshakeable

to find new strength
one you may not have seen before
one untainted by life’s chaos
one that persists despite all

… and to realize you don’t need this permission
you already have it within yourself
you always did

 

Written April 2020 during COVID pandemic crisis

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