“the greatness of humanity is revealed most profoundly in the persistent struggle to claim a better day in the face of tragic conditions.” – Dr. Joseph Chuman, Greatness lies in the human struggle,ethicalfocus.org

I choose to celebrate the ultimate triumph of waking up and getting another chance everyday. At the start of this year, I challenged myself to walk the walk by giving more love this year. What I thought would be a breeze turned into the ultimate challenge. I had to learn that forgiving my enemy did not mean forgetting the pain, but choosing to not let the pain of the evil actions offend me anymore. That does not mean to not pursue justice. But to pursue justice in a less emotionally charged and go forward in a logical manner.

While going through this passage, I took notice of the strong women around me wearing disguises everyday, just so they can carry on and continue caring for the loved ones that need them. They swallow the struggles of life with grace and mercy. Sometimes, these beautiful vessels forget to give the same grace and mercy to themselves. How can you have joy in this life when you’re never attending to your emotional, spiritual and physical needs?

We all struggle with balancing the everyday grind, with radical self care. While literally fighting for ourselves and others livelihoods, our needs are sacrificed time and time again for the sake of ‘the movement’. But the movement starts within. So take some time out, center your energy, take a hot bath, fill your body with cleansing food and drink. Cleanse your mind of the anxiety and toxic energy. Remind yourself to try not to allow negative energies to cause you offense. Release. Give grace, forgive. Repeat.

I read somewhere that your tears are prayers too. The Golden Tears Collection adorns these women with a golden tears print as a reminder that their vessels matter too, and should be a priority, even before fighting the good fight.