Years ago, I moved back to my home state to rebuild my life. So, after several years, I reconnected with a local former colleague on social media. She told me I could stay with her over the weekend until my new apartment was ready the following Monday.
I planned to lay low and stay out of her way, since she was a single mother raising three young children, and I slept on the lower bunk bed. Despite tending to the kids, she kept them busy, served me cookies and cold milk, and sat with me to talk. Having someone to vent to at that time was more than cathartic.
Early Monday morning, she handed me a bundle of freshly washed and folded clothes that she’d taken the liberty of washing without me knowing. I felt so cared for. At the time, I hadn’t realized how long it had been since I’d felt that way.
Real Life of an MSW 
Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking that we’re okay without much human contact. I remember during the Covid lockdowns, I was watching our church service live stream one Sunday morning. I was feeling fine, since as a writer I hadn’t seen my daily routine changed all that much. But then one of the pastors said that members of the church had told him they were sad we weren’t meeting in person. He said, “I want you to know, it’s okay to be sad.” And the moment he said those words, I was surprised to find myself crying! It was as if I had been waiting for someone to give me permission to mourn the human contact I’d been missing. (Coming back together was heavenly!)
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Your story reminds me of a sticker I used to hand out to my students that read, “It’s okay to not be okay!” Sometimes we feel like we need to ask for permission to just let go and simply be. It is completely okay to do so, because sometimes, letting go is exactly where the beautiful rebuild starts. ❤ —Thanks for taking the time to read,and comment!
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