The Weight We Carry
The other night I rewatched Where the Crawdads Sing and forgot just how much that story would stay with me.
My heart broke for Kya.
Person after person left her. She experienced so much loss, rejection, loneliness, and pain. Even when good things happened, there always seemed to be another heartbreak waiting around the corner.
But what stood out to me most wasn’t the sadness.
It was the peace she found.
She found it in nature.
She found it in learning.
She found it in drawing and painting.
She found it in paying attention to the world around her.
And honestly, I think that’s what resonated with me so deeply.
Because if I’m being truthful, I spend a lot of time chasing that same feeling.
Not success.
Not achievement.
Not more stuff.
Just peace.
A deep breath.
A quiet mind.
The ability to fully enjoy the life right in front of me.
Yet even with so many beautiful things in my life, I often feel a weight on my chest.
It’s hard to explain.
It’s there when I’m happy.
It’s there when I’m sitting outside painting.
It’s there when I’m watching my kids laugh.
It’s there when Josh and I are having a good day.
It’s almost like my mind is always carrying the awareness that life is fragile.
My kids are growing up.
Time keeps moving.
Nothing stays the same forever.
And sometimes I wonder if I’m truly present enough to appreciate it all before it changes.
Will I look back and wish I had put my phone down more?
Will I wish I worried less?
Will I regret all the time I spent rushing through moments that deserved my full attention?
I don’t know.
But I have a feeling I’m not the only one who feels this way.
Maybe part of being human is loving something so much that we’re afraid of losing it.
Maybe the weight we carry isn’t always a sign that something is wrong.
Maybe sometimes it’s simply evidence that we care deeply.
Lately, I’ve been trying to remind myself of something:
I don’t have to solve the future in order to enjoy today.
Today is enough.
The ducks are here today.
My paints are here today.
My kids are here today.
The people I love are here today.
And maybe the goal isn’t to eliminate the weight completely.
Maybe the goal is to keep returning to the simple joys that help lighten it.
A walk outside.
A conversation with someone you love.
A quiet cup of coffee.
A paintbrush.
A sunset.
A child telling you a story you’ve heard a hundred times before.
These moments won’t last forever.
That’s what makes them so precious.
So if you’ve been carrying a weight too, I hope you know you’re not alone.
And maybe today we can both practice noticing what is here instead of worrying about what might someday be gone.
❤️
Reflection Question:
What simple joy helped lighten your load this week?
Slow Living Challenge:
Spend 10 minutes today noticing something you normally rush past. No multitasking. No agenda. Just notice.
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