Life is not a bowl of strawberries 🍓

I wish it was naturally. I once upon a time naively thought it would be.

I was wrong. Someone once told me I grew up sheltered. I beg to differ.

I grew up seeing love and kindness and happiness, even in hard times. I grew up with real friends. I didn’t see anger, hostility, alcohol, drugs, abusive behavior. Nobody would want that, nor does anybody deserve that.

I don’t consider that sheltered.

Over the years, I discovered you can find darkness where you’d hope it’d never be. You see it in people you hoped to never see it in.

As you experience more life and people in adulthood, you see more personal agendas. Less empathy, less kindness, more greed, more self fulfillment, more of the self centered. Especially in these days of social media, but I’ll get into that another time.

Many are with a significant other that is not helping them live their happiest life, instead trying to break them down. Unintentionally, due to a mental disorder, or intentionally, due to cold hearts.

So what do you do?

No matter how much you wish and hope someone will change to be a good person, you cannot do it for them.

But you can do you. You can be a good person. Be kind and loving. Bring a little bit of sunshine to the people around you. Brighten up others lives.

You might think it doesn’t make a big difference. Trust me, it does. One little teeny tiny act of kindness has the potential to change someone’s life. Believe that.

During my fifth pregnancy, I’d had a routine appointment. My nurse sat down and looked me in the eyes, and asked “how are you feeling? Do you have help, everything okay?” And I embarrassingly teared up. But it really touched me, she genuinely seemed to care.

But, be that to everyone you love. Just love more. Ask how they are. We all need it. It’s a miserable world to feel alone.

Find your joys in life. Any hobby that makes you feel happy. Whether it’s exercise, painting, decorating your house, reading, photography, baking. It’s not selfish to take time to do what you love. Life isn’t a rush to the finish line. Life is meant to be fulfilling.

Notice the sunrise. The colors of the flowers. Literally love every mornings coffee like it’s the best coffee. That’s my favorite happy vibe. Look forward to all the little things. The evenings, the mornings, every part of the day. Appreciate all the blessings God gives you. There’s always something to be grateful for. I

Even if you’ve been hurt, continue to love. I truly believe good things will come to those who deserve them. Keep holding on.

You can make your life a bowl of strawberries 🍓

❤️Bethany