It’s 2:00 a.m. I’m obviously not asleep.

This happens to me quite a bit – I just have a hurricane of thoughts and feelings. Daytime, nighttime, work time, school time and family time, my thoughts and feelings don’t pay attention to my other priorities. I’ll find myself just sitting and scribbling thought after thought, word after word, and doing anything to try and empty the whirlwind.

I always joke that I’m catching up on the thoughts and feelings I couldn’t have before I started my path of recovery. I spent way too much time hiding from thoughts and feelings so now they come constantly.

I’m sure many can relate right now because there is a constant barrage of things to try and process. Life is full of uncertainties but the last few years seem to have brought them in a pile. It hurts. It overwhelms. But what do we do? We put one foot in front of the other, we take each step knowing we are surrounded by people doing the exact same thing. We sit up at night and “brain dump” onto a notepad like I am now. Whatever we need, we do.

Maybe we do think too much and feel too deeply but no matter what, we don’t let it stop us. The hurricane of thoughts and emotions, the uncertainties or the sleepless nights have no chance against the strength and resilience we’ve built up in our lifetimes. That fact alone slows the thoughts and eases the overwhelming emotions. Hurricanes can’t touch foundations made from the stones of strength and resilience.

We are immovable, we just have to remember that.

Sarah Deats

Sarah Deats is the Arizona Outpatient Support Services Manager at RI International and the Hope Inc. Stories Inspiration Engineer. Her goals are to make a connection with everyone that she can while building community, spreading hope, and sparking change. She believes that while life may not be easy, it is never lived alone.