I want to talk to you—the one looking for deeper connections as you walk towards healing. As I’ve struggled with my own mental health, I have found that it is crucial to cultivate friendships with people who ask how I’m doing and pause to listen to my answer.

If we let it, motherhood can unlock a secret door to the humans we were meant to be. You will never find me claiming to be an expert in the field of motherhood. (It would be foolish to do so when each day presents a new opportunity for growth.) But, if you feel that a part of you has been lost in motherhood, take some time to consider just a few ways into the path of finding!

Even after I knew the relationship was toxic, I stayed. Crippling anxiety and self-doubt forbade me from leaving. I sought advice from friends, family, professionals, and blogs.  And out of everything I learned, there were four lessons that finally gave me the strength to walk away. 

Before, I would gladly sit for hours and allow others’ problems to consume me. I left interactions feeling empty, sick, and like a part of me was missing . . . and I thought I was crazy, because I loved that feeling. Now, I’ve realized that people don’t need me to provide a solution to the problem. They need me to be present while they work through the issue. 

As of yesterday, 169 letters have come in, from around 24 states and 3 countries (New Zealand, Canada, Australia)!

However it started, this is what I realized: something as small as a pill could never define your worth.

Guys aren’t supposed to have anxiety disorders. They’re supposed to be logical and analytical. Stoic and serene and somehow bold at the same time. Confident in everything they believe in. Self-assured. 6’5’’ and ripped.

But I’m a guy, and I’m practically none of those things. 

When I’m having a hard time, she usually says, “It will be okay in the end, Sarah.”

Over ten years I’ve been blessed to find myself wandering to 11 countries for missions, internships, leadership school, and, occasionally, the need to simply get out and expand my world perspective. People ask, “What is it like going, traveling, wondering, and being like a modern day nomad?”

Reader, if you do one thing next year, call your home your home. Just do it. No matter where it is, commit to it now. Commit to being at home where you live. 

Sometimes we avoid hard questions because we’re scared of the unknown.

Your faith, whatever it may be, isn't going to look like the faith of the person next to you. You aren't the person next to you. You have a piece inside of yourself that is so unique and lovely, and it's up to you to shake off what isn't you anymore and protect what is.

When I was at my most broken in this last season, my roommate sat with me on the couch and silently listened as I exploded with confusion. She turned to me and said, “Paige, what is going to bring you the most freedom in this?” 

Let’s look like hope for one another, showing up over and over with the simple reminder of our presence that everything may not be okay, but we can be not okay together. And if there are days we simply don’t want to talk about it, let’s laugh.

We came back. We said “I’m sorry” carefully, without certainty at first, and then in ways that weren’t words. That was okay. I am learning with her that it is okay to have a lot to feel, a lot to say. It is okay to ask for love and okay to rebuild a foundation.

Whether you’re a homebody or an adventure-seeker, here are three ways I’ve learned to seek adventure everyday.

You’re gonna find a way to make things work, and even though it might take a little while, your life is going to become brighter than you ever thought it could. 

As Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation reminds us, “No one achieves anything alone.”

You have turned hospitality into an art form. Everyone is welcome in your home. Even a door to door salesman with questionable motives is welcomed in, offered a cup of steaming hot tea, perhaps some dried fruit and chocolate treats, friendly conversation, and a moment to rest before heading back out.

Loving any other human being is complex and often times messy. Truly loving others is hard because it often leads to hard conversations and setting aside ourselves in order to serve someone else. Loving those struggling with addiction in our lives is no different. It’s day by day. It’s asking ourselves if we are just choosing what is easy or if we are choosing the best option for them and us. Are we supporting? Are we listening? Are we showing up and inviting them in?