Waking Up to What Is Beautiful (and Holding It with Tender Gratitude)

Summer is delight,
while the world seems awry.

How can I hold a sunset and a sunrise so beautiful
while the earth is scorching?

How can I eat a yogurt bowl full of nourishment,
oozing with fresh berry delight,
while more and more humans are food insecure?

How can I swim in a refreshing lake so blue
while others grow mentally weary, with no room to move their bodies?

How can I stay in routine
when the news is dreadful on the daily?

And yet…
the only thing that keeps the heart shining open
is our human ability to keep moving forward.

So I drink the glass of water, before the cup of coffee.
I take the longer breath in, and exhale just a little longer.
I take the extra steps to get my heart rate up.
I lift heavy weights to maintain the strength I’ll need for the long haul.
I eat the bowl of nourishment — full of macros, loaded with nutrients — and let myself feel full.

Because these small habits —they matter.
They bring balance to my hormones,
calm to my nervous system,
and strength to my heart.

So that I can step out and care for my family.
So that I can step into hard conversations with courage.
So that I can step forward into the day with capacity and compassion.

This is not ignoring the world.
This is fueling to stay present in it.

What’s one beautiful thing you can hold with tender gratitude today?
And what’s one small habit you can commit to — not as escape, but as nourishment for your next step forward?

📓 Pause and journal for 5 minutes today.
💬 Respond and share your “one beauty” or your “one habit” in the comments or with a friend — let’s normalize holding both the ache and the awe.

You’re not alone in this. We’re walking it together — forward, gently, with our eyes and hearts wide open.

Yours in health,

Jenny