sometimes when I am tired and I can't sleep, my mind floods with guilt and embarrassment.

and I must allow myself grace:

to say thank you more than sorry,

to say I don't like how that made me feel,

and I will act in accordance with those feelings.

I will keep my migraine meds stocked,

and I will not allow it to get this bad again.

sometimes when I am trying to sleep,

and I am not using another's voice to drown out the noise that surrounds me,

I am reminded what it is to feel your emotions, to allow them space, to coexist with them as a part of you.

they lessen,

softly,

with love;

with mutual understanding,

with "I love you and this is how you feel,"

with a reminder of "this is who you are, this is what you value."

sometimes you will act with dissonance in your values;

to feel is to remind you,

is to reaffirm who you,

is to understand yourself fully.

you are learning to take care of yourself,

and stay true to your values;

of course, you will make mistakes,

you are only human, after all.