Kate

Good morning…

The down-to-earth words of Kate Bowler come into my inbox every Wednesday. Kate is a professor at Duke Divinity School, a writer, a podcaster, and a cancer survivor. Yesterday, Kate shared with me, and millions of her regular blog readers, this tender word of encouragement.

******

Dear Sue,

Is it just me, or does May always sneak up wearing a flower crown and carrying a bullhorn?

There’s Mother’s Day. And Nurses Day. And school countdowns. And emails you swore you replied to but apparently didn’t. The air smells like cut grass and transitions. And maybe you’re doing your best to hold it together—but also slightly falling apart.

If that’s you: welcome. You are not doing it wrong.

This week, we’re talking about big feelings and tender days. The stretch of time where everything feels like just a little too much. Maybe you’re loving a teenager through the waves of adolescence. Maybe you’re missing someone who should still be here. Maybe you’re navigating one of life’s many in-betweens—with a full heart and an empty tank.

I had a conversation this week with Dr. Lisa Damour, a psychologist who spends her days making sense of teen emotions—and reassuring the rest of us that emotional does not equal fragile. And honestly? That felt like a relief.

Because isn’t that true for us, too?
You can be feeling everything, and still be okay.
You can be a mess, and still be showing up.

Listen or watch here.

So if this week feels loud, or long, or heavier than it should be, you’re not alone.
We’re not here to fix it. Just to say: we see you. And you don’t have to do it perfectly to be doing something holy.

With you,
Kate

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Being with each other, face to face or in Spirit, is the greatest gift we can give.

This May is particularly laden with hard emotions, as my thoughts are with the families and friends of four beloved women who went to heaven this year after journeying with cancer. Elizabeth. Mary Lynne. Lucinda. Kenya. This Mother’s Day weekend, let’s open our hearts to those who are missing their mothers, their daughters, their sisters, their wives, and their friends. We cannot fix overwhelming feelings, but we can be with each other amid the messiness of May.

Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things (1 John 3:20, VOICE).

…Sue…

P.S. A special invitation came in this week: “Atlanta friends, we would love for you to join us on Saturday, May 10th to honor Mary Lynne at the Georgia Brain Tumor Walk and Race at The Battery. All are welcome, runners and walkers alike! We will meet outside of Antico’s at 7:30 AM.”

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