It’s ok to be sad. These 5 little words are small yet so significant. As happy people, we do our best to hide sadness from the world right? We put on the good face. Laugh a little too loud. Smile even when it hurts. All this camouflage when really, we just need to give ourselves some grace.
Last month, we took a big step in our plans to go cruising on our boat. We finally moved Eclipse, our ‘in process’ sailboat, from Maryland to Virginia. As often happens, all did not go as planned. The original transport company we reserved had to be scrapped just days from the intended move date due to equipment issues. Reservations with hotels and planned visits with friends were promptly cancelled. Things in my business had to be shifted around as we regrouped, found a new mover and implement plan B.
A similar thing happened again later in the month with a 20’ storage container full of our boat parts. Did you know there is a shortage of moving trunks? Apparently, with so many people suddenly “pandemic-moving,” the 15’ U-Haul we had planned to pickup in Maryland was only available in Virginia. Once again we scrapped plans we had made to visit family and friends, scrambled for a hotel room and turned to plan B. With me, my hubby and our trusty 75 lb dog in the front seat of a moving van (soooo comfortable- NOT), we drove 5 hours north, loaded up a containers worth of stuff, drove back and unloaded it all in less than 36 hours.
The final stressor came just last week when our Realtor contacted us about a potential buyer for the 2.5 acre plot of land we own in Rock Hall. Yes! One catch (there always is right?) The ‘potentials’ wanted to see the plot with the grass cut. So, we scrambled to find someone to do that on short notice (and paid way too much money for said service); only to have the Realtor tell us that the ‘potentials’ decided to keep looking for a pre-owned home instead of building. Wah-wah… 🙁
The end result of all this frustration? I found myself pretty sad and de-motivated. I lost my inspiration to do little more than the bare minimum in my business. I felt deflated, tired and lost. Those feelings really scared me. I’m the ‘happy’ girl right? So how could these little bumps in the road (which all worked out fine in the end) affect me so deeply?
Because we’re human, shit happens and sometimes enough is enough.
After a week of trying to drag myself out of the funk with grit and denial, (I’m fine, feeling dandy, where’s the wine) I just decided to stop pretending to be ‘normal’ and gave myself some grace to be sad.
Guess what? I learned that sadness often doesn’t make any logical sense. It’s not always one big ‘thing’. Instead, it’s a combination of life piling on the crap. For me, stress, change, disappointment and breaking one more link to our life in Rock Hall were all factors in the heaviness. In realizing that, I calmed down and started to find myself again.
Today, I’m back in the studio writing, creating new jewelry and sorting through all the leftover emotions. If you’ve been with me for a while, you know this post is not my normal style. But you know what? Frankly, it feels good to write it all down and ‘tell’ my story. To be real and let you know that even the ‘happy’ girl gets sad sometimes. Most important though, I want you to know that if you’re feeling sad (because a lot of people are right now), you’re not alone and it’s OK.
So the next time you try to fight overwhelm by putting on your camouflage, instead, give yourself some grace. Just sit in silence. Sort through the layers of life. Recognize and acknowledge the emotions and know that sometimes, it’s just ok to be sad.
Silence is the soul’s way of remembering to cherish your blessings and often the best road map to finding yourself once again.