I am currently sitting in a coffee shop, in a small little town. I'm sitting in a chair which I have discovered is possibly the perfect chair, offering back support yet still comfy. There is an outlet nearby, the lighting is perfect, dim but warm, and inviting. There are people working. With others, and alone. There are two men talking, one is tapping his hands on the couch and listening, the other is wearing a golf hat and telling a story. They are older and seemed to be well acquainted with one another. Everyone ordered warm beverages and they have all taken off their lids. There are two ladies enjoying cinnamon rolls and hot chocolate, there is a mother and a daughter casually conversing in the corner, there is a couple sitting on the couch talking, enjoying each others company, there are two friends catching up and grabbing a quick bite. There is a woman picking up a to-go order who winked at me as she passed.

Do you ever just take a moment and observe everything that's going on around you? Do you notice the finger marks on the window when the sun hits it? Do you notice the man walking his dog outside? Do you notice the way the shadows, the shadows that have never appeared before because your stay has lasted longer than normal, change the room that you've been sitting in? Do you then think maybe this establishment should get better blinds because you are struggling to see anything but don't want to reposition yourself because you have already been seated in that perfect seat for hours? Do you ever take a second to see that the world is still doing things when you're not? That things change when you're not looking? That the world still is the world when you're sleeping and laughing and crying and heartbroken and in love and mad? Sometimes it's good to get out of your mind and look around.

There are moments where I look at people and wish that I could be in their position, I wish that I could go to a coffee shop and just sit and talk with my mom. I wish that I could take a break from the hectic-ness of my day and sit with my boyfriend and laugh and listen and love. I wish I could catch up with an old friend and leave feeling refreshed.

And yet I am so content, sitting here, in this perfect chair, spending some time with myself, getting some work done. I texted my mom, letting her know that I wish I could sit and chat with her in a coffee shop. I remembered that a boyfriend is not something that I want right now at all. I know that I will catch up with old friends soon.

I encourage you, especially now, to take some time and sit with yourself. Go somewhere new. Take everything in. Notice things, appreciate the space and your time. The world may be scary as a whole, but if you break it down into moments and sections, it's not that bad. In fact, it becomes manageable. The struggles that you encounter become manageable.

Sometimes, day by day, the stress of life and the stress of deadlines and responsibilities consume you. Catch yourself. When you find that you're struggling to think or breathe, look around you. Look at where you are. Look at the people who are probably in a similar place as you mentally. Look at how far you have come. You can do it.