Remember, This Too Shall Pass
A gentle reminder
This too shall pass.
She tells me that when I cry when I think my heart cannot handle another crack when I want to crawl under the covers and never come out when all I want to do is just be left alone.
This too shall pass.
She tells me that when I writhe with disappointment when I struggle to understand why I didn’t get whatever achievement, I had pinned my self-worth onto when I’m worried.
This too shall pass.
She repeats it when I want to pull out my hair because I’m frustrated with my lack of employment.
This too shall pass.
She tells me that when it seemed like the whole world was Noah’s Ark, and I was left alone, bobbing in the ocean.
This too shall pass. This too shall pass. This too shall pass.
It is and has always been one of my mother’s favorite sayings.
It was an echo, said over and over again when I was a child. And then as a teenager. It became a meditation that I adopted as my own when I became an adult.
It was always said in terms of negativity — a reminder that the anger, the frustration, the despair, the sadness, the depression, and the hurt would eventually pass, that I shouldn’t let myself stay in that space for too long.
It’s a kernel of wisdom that has aged well — especially when the world feels as if it’s burning everywhere you look.
Uncertainty is scary.
Unknown is scary.
Worrying about your health, your loved ones, and your livelihood is enough of a stress to weigh heavily on any soul.
And yet, this too shall pass.
Your fear will subside with each day you begin anew, and with each breath you take.
When you murmur to yourself that this too shall pass, you’re reminding yourself of how fleeting life can be — that things can change as swiftly and smoothly as you can breathe and blink. You’re holding onto the thought that it’s not worth living in the space of negativity for too long — for the moments of life, both good and bad, will always pass.
Life will keep moving forward.
It will not wait for you to realize what’s happening around you, for you to be comfortable with change. It will not slow down, no matter how politely you ask.
It will not wait for you to catch your breath — it keeps going.
This too shall pass, this time of uncertainty and unknown — so let yourself be fully present in the moments of happiness.
Let yourself feel the moments of joy.
Remember to breathe when the unpleasantries come — remember that they too will pass.
