A Hug in a Mug & the Quiet Work of Healing

This morning, I woke up with the sun.
There was something sacred about the silence – the way the light slowly stretched across the room, the gentle hum of the world beginning again.
I stayed there for a while, wrapped in stillness, allowing myself the luxury of just being.

Not long after, I made my first cup of tea for the day.
Earl Grey, with a swirl of honey, coconut sugar, and oat milk – my hug in a mug.
It was bliss in the simplest form.

Before the heat settled in, I headed out for a walk while the air was still cool.
There’s something about moving your body first thing that clears the mind, like the earth is gently holding your thoughts as you walk.
I popped into Sainsbury’s on the way back and grabbed a few groceries – small things, ordinary things, that tether me to the rhythm of daily life.

Today, self-care was a non-negotiable.
My feet had been neglected for far too long, and it was time.
Dr Anders Professional Foot Care worked its magic, and as I massaged and tended to them, I thought:
This, too, is healing.
Tending to the parts of me I’ve overlooked.

And maybe that’s what today was about – returning to myself, slowly and tenderly.

I had the urge to write, and I listened.
There’s so much inside me right now – so many things I want to say, to teach, to share.
So I poured it out on the page.
There’ll be new articles coming soon – words to uplift, to educate, to hold space for the beautiful complexity of midlife.

But the truth is – underneath the productivity, the ritual, the cups of tea and self-care – there’s also been pain.
The past few days have been heavy.
The perimenopause symptoms are relentless.
The tears have come more than once a day.
Emotional meltdowns, spirals, softness that feels almost too tender to carry.

And yet – I still move.
I still show up.
I still live.

I came across a quote today that brought me to tears:

“I hope you know – it’s okay to carry weight and still walk forward. Not everything has to be perfectly resolved for you to take the next step.”

It stayed with me.

Because yes, I’ve been carrying a lot.
And no, I haven’t resolved it all.
But I’m still walking forward – with grace beneath the bruises.

Some days I laugh, write, and make plans.
And some days, I just breathe.
Just getting through is enough.

So if you’re here too – navigating your healing while still showing up for life – I see you.
This quiet strength, this ability to carry what no one else sees, to keep breathing, to keep going…
That’s not just resilience.
That’s grace.
That’s power.
That counts – perhaps more than anyone will ever understand.

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