I haven’t written in several weeks, which is unusual for me. Life pulled me into a season of being more present than reflective.
Over the last month, I experienced some beautiful family milestones. Moments of pride, celebration, and joy. Everything from anniversaries and birthdays to graduations.
At the same time, there were people I love navigating pain, uncertainty, and disappointment. It reminded me of something I wrote last Thanksgiving: joy and grief often show up at the same table.
What struck me this time wasn’t just that they coexisted. It was how much energy it takes to hold both.
To celebrate while worrying.
To smile for photos while carrying concern in your heart.
To feel deeply grateful and deeply sad in the same season.
Many of us think life is supposed to alternate between chapters: hard times, then happy times.
But often that’s not how it works.
The truth is that some of our most meaningful moments arrive with mixed emotions attached. Maybe emotional health isn’t about choosing one feeling over another. Maybe it’s about expanding our capacity to hold more than one thing at once.
We can be proud and heartbroken.
Relieved and scared.
Excited and grieving.
Holding both doesn’t diminish either experience.
Lately, I’ve been reminded that resilience isn’t always about pushing through. Sometimes it’s simply about making room at the table for everything that showed up.
And maybe that’s enough. Not to resolve every feeling, organize every emotion, or make sense of every season, but simply to make room for all of it.
With love and reflection,
Jackie
