There’s a part of you that feels unsettled when things are going well. When life feels easy, or joyful, or spacious—your mind quietly reminds you: don’t forget the suffering in the world.
And you don’t. You carry it with you. The wars, the cruelty, the terror. You read the headlines. You remember the stories. You know how easily things can fall apart.
But sometimes, without realizing it, that awareness turns into resistance—resistance to your own rest, your own joy. As if feeling good is a betrayal of those who cannot.
Still, life doesn’t work like that. Your sorrow doesn’t lighten theirs. Your exhaustion doesn’t offer relief.
There is wisdom in being awake to the world’s pain. But there’s also grace in letting yourself feel peace without guilt. Not because everything is okay—but because it isn’t. And because you’ll need your strength to help in whatever small ways you can.
Let the suffering soften you—but don’t let it close you. Let yourself breathe, rest, and notice beauty. That, too, is a way of honoring what matters.