The dam broke this morning.

The long-awaited tears that have needed to flow came out in a conversation with my husband and mom this morning, and we may have all shed a few needed tears.

The to-do lists have kept me sane in this season. Christmas with all its parties and preparation have almost been a unconsciously welcome distraction. Truth be told, “all the things I need to do” have protected my heart from feeling what it needs to feel. Avoidance has been my friend.

Instead of facing my reality, I’ve been short-tempered with those I love. I’ve let unhealthy anger rise to the surface more times than I’d like to admit. Frustration has been at its peak. At the same time, a looming sadness has lapped at my ankles with the internal anticipation that the tide is about to come in and drown me in its forceful flow. But maybe I want it to. Maybe it needs to.

My mother-in-law is sick. 

My mother-in-law that I deeply love as if she were my own flesh and blood has an inoperable brain tumor and is smack dab in the middle of her first round of radiation and chemotherapy.

This has changed all of our lives to say the least. Our schedules are different. Our priorities have shifted. 

We’ve never been here before. 

There’s a tension in this season. On one hand, as a family (and a church family), we’re all on our knees believing for a miracle. We love belting out the lyrics, “I believe in You! I believe in You! You’re the God of miracles!”, with everything we have. On the other hand, we’re making the most of every moment. Making sure we are present, treasuring each breath. Sitting by the fire, telling stories, laughing, crying, and just being.

Life is full of tensions. It’s not always “all good” and it’s not always “all bad”. Most days are filled with a tension somewhere in between. 

All I know is I want to feel it all, breathe it all in, live fully in each moment. The joy, the triumph, the pain, the reality checks – all of it. I don’t want to shut down and switch off because to be fully alive is a gift. 

Today I’m deciding – yes DECIDING – to enjoy the chaos that comes with four children in a tiny NY apartment even when I may feel like I’m being pecked to death by chickens on occasion (okay, on lots of occasions!). I’m going to decide that Christmas isn’t about to-do lists and making everyone happy, but it’s about Jesus, the long-awaited Savior who came so that I could FULLY live here on earth and into eternity. I’m choosing to not condemn myself when I’m less than perfect and bark at one of my kids. I’m going to love myself and say sorry if I need to say sorry.  I’m going to cry if I need to cry and use up the whole tissue box. I am choosing to slow down. Look people in the eyes. Laugh more and stress less. I’m choosing to stop feeling guilty for all the things I “should” be doing better or more of.

I’m going to live.

I’m glad the dam burst this morning. Not so I could sit here and wallow in the tide of sadness that hit, but so I could wake up and live present. It’s okay when it’s not “all good”. Sometimes that’s just life and there is nothing wrong with you.

Jesus is present, even when we’re not ready to be. The Comforter is comforting, even when we don’t want to allow ourselves to be loved. Father God is gentle, kind and good, even when we can’t see it through the fog we are in. 

So go on… Go ahead and really, truly live – even when all the to do lists, preparations and distractions try and get in the way. Every moment… Every breath is a gift.