A guy on TikTok (Sam Fischer) posted a song called Carry It Well . I'd been hearing snippets of the song and found myself listening on repeat. The lyrics: Just because I carry it well doesn't mean it isn't heavy and i don't need some help I know I keep it locked down, but all I want now is somebody who can tell me how it's gonna work out. I saw news of a celebrity who took his own life last week. To say I was shocked was an understatement. From the picture painted across his social media, this guy radiated joy. He seemed like the guy who had truly found happiness and was doing ok. But in reality, that just meant he carried his pain "well." What does that mean? To carry your pain well? I'm guessing it actually means we hide it. And I'm not sure that is considered carrying it well. The fact this song has more than 2 million views leads me to believe others are wrestling this season. I may not be able to tell you how it's all going to work ou
The tension. We all live in it-- every day. The tension of holding joy and holding pain. We can't escape it. But the way it shows up in our lives is different. We meet some people and immediately know the pain is taking over. We meet some and quickly see more joy-- and wonder how in the world their life can be so bright when the world is in so much chaos. But it's important to note that EVERYONE has the tension. Everyone has pockets of pain. Everyone has pockets of joy. How they are reflected is different. I recognize the way I show up probably leans more toward the "bright side"-- and I wonder if that does a disservice to some on the periphery. I had a conversation with a newish friend and shared a bit of my heartache. She appeared to be caught off guard. Her response was, "I just had no idea. You seem so full of light all the time." Do people see the bright side and make assumptions? Maybe people don't check in because they think all is well. We ar