...Plain Upon Tablets

So often, we struggle, we fight to live just above life's currents so that we are able to, at the very least, breathe as we make it from one day to the next. That is not the way life is supposed to be. We are called to be joyful and to find joy even in the most devastating of circumstances. Chronic Stress Disorder (CSD) often makes it hard for me to see joy and keep joy near. For me, CSD is like having my nerves constantly on fire while they are pricked by millions of the sharpest needles ever created. This is what it feels like when I'm stressing about things that my mind knows are perceived and not real. This feeling is amplified when dealing with stressors that are tangible, immediate. Despite these feelings and the other issues that cower under the CSD umbrella (anxiety, depression), I do realize that there must be consistent intentionality to the pursuit of joy. As with anything. If you want to lose weight, you have to be consistent, intentional of what you eat...

One thing to know about me: I care about others, I love others, and making people feel cared for and loved is important to me. However, I often didn't extend that care, that love to myself. A few years ago, I attempted to remedy this by writing daily love notes to myself (#loveaday notes). Through these notes, #HUGSlove originated. I've been told a time or two that I am one of the best huggers in the world, and I am always in search of a good hug. It's my firm belief that you can gauge a person by their handshake and their hug. I've had hugs that left me feeling cold and detached and hugs that have left me weeping in a stranger's arms. There is a connection that's made with a good hug, an exchange of love. So, to me, HUGS and LOVE go hand in hand. #HUGSlove, in a way, has encapsulated my life's mission: to spread that exchange of love and care to myself--and to others, and it taps into every facet of my life. Currently, it is seen in the #loved...