The Power of And

I celebrated Mother’s Day last weekend, and overall, it truly was a wonderful day. I’m someone who naturally tries to focus on gratitude and see the good in things, so most days, I genuinely do feel blessed.

Throughout the day, though, there were a few situations that didn’t feel great. Some things hurt my feelings, frustrated me, and sat a little heavy in my heart. In the moment, I pushed those feelings aside. I told myself not to take things personally and focused on finding the good instead because I didn’t want to let a few moments ruin the day. Honestly, I was pretty impressed with myself at the time because it wasn’t just one thing. There were a few moments that could have easily shifted my mood, and I felt like I handled them really well.

But then a few days later, I read something, and suddenly all of those feelings came rushing to the surface. My first instinct was to avoid it. I immediately wanted to push it away and tell myself I wasn’t going there. Then I caught myself and realized maybe I actually did need to go there. Maybe I needed to stop avoiding the feelings and allow myself to actually feel them.

So instead of pushing everything down again, I gave myself permission to be upset about the situations from that day. I cried. I acknowledged that some of those moments really did hurt me, even though I had tried convincing myself they didn’t. Afterward, I went for a walk, and honestly, it felt really good. I felt lighter, calmer, and more at peace. I realized I had actually been carrying heaviness in my body and mind for days without fully recognizing it because I had been so focused on staying positive and moving past it quickly.

At one point, I even had this thought: Was I lying to myself when I said it was a great day? Because if I’m being honest, parts of it actually kind of sucked.

And then I realized something important: both can be true.

It was a beautiful day, AND there were also moments that hurt. I can feel grateful for the love, memories, laughter, and meaningful moments while also acknowledging the disappointment, frustration, or sadness I experienced too.

So often, our brains want to see things as all good or all bad. Black or white. Either/or. All or nothing. But life usually doesn’t work that way. Days, situations, relationships, and even people can hold more than one truth at the same time.

There is power in AND.

And sometimes, allowing ourselves to hold space for both the good and the hard is where real honesty, healing, and growth begin.

Reflection: Have you ever tried convincing yourself something didn’t hurt when it actually did? What emotions do you tend to push away most often? What would it look like to hold space for both the good and the hard?

Action Step: The next time you catch yourself thinking, “It shouldn’t bother me,” or “I should just be grateful,” pause for a moment and remind yourself that both can be true. You can appreciate the good in your life while still acknowledging the things that hurt, frustrated, or affected you. Allowing yourself to hold space for both is not weakness. It’s honesty and emotional awareness.