My SBO President is a cute girl named Oakley. Heather and I like to call her a once-in-a-decade kind of student leader. Without getting into it, she’s just wonderful. ?

She has gone through some of her own lumps recently so we’ve vented and talked through emotions. It’s natural to say it’s OK, let’s move on, and/or put on a smile through the hard times when that’s what you’ve always done or that’s what people expect or because you don’t want to dig into the vulnerability. For Miss Oaks, she’s upbeat and positive always, so there’s a pressure to maintain that vibe, especially when she’s the anchor for her friends, family, or the school. However, we both believe true mental and emotional health relies on all emotions, and a balance therein. ?⚖️?

One day this past week, Oakley and I chatted and she brought up this interesting idea about looking at a glass half-full or half-empty. She told me that the thing is that grief and gratitude can coexist; the glass can really be both. We constantly hear; is the glass full or empty?  Yet, getting grammatical, we can live in a world saying and instead of or when it comes to half-filled glasses. ? 

The principle is something I’ve thought about before, but this way of thinking was a new perspective for me. I’m trying to apply the idea to honor where no water is but be excited for where the water is, too. In addition, I think it’s important to not just simply ignore where the emptiness is. It’s a part of you, your story and your journey and will absolutely play a role in your progress and potential, too. Things do suck and we acknowledge that, but we also see tender mercies and can acknowledge that, too. ???