Sometimes our lives resemble a house of cards: fragile, tenuous, easily knocked down with one gust of wind.

In those tender moments we need to remember that doing our very best looks different than if things are running along smoothly and we have a full inner tank that’s just bursting with joy.

We can’t bathe in sunlight all the time. We also need rain to grow.

On those less-than-ideal days, it would be in our highest interest to accept that breathing is about all we can do. Yup, there will be times, my friends, when inhaling, exhaling and sitting upright is as good as it gets.

Be kind to yourself. There’s a reason why it’s called being at the top of your game; you know, those moments in time when everything is in flow? There will also be moments when you’re at the bottom of your game; maybe you’ll even be at the bottom of the barrel. Wherever you are, know that you are exactly where you need to be.

We’re all learning on this journey. Gather those folks who love you even when you are in a bad mood. You know who they are.

Not everyone can take the fall with you. Know that people will enter and exit your life; yet everyone who does has equal value, fulfilling a purpose often unknown to us. The ones that stay with you when the going gets tough are friends for a lifetime.

Life is juicy and, yes, sometimes messy with stuff oozing between your fingers and down your arms. So what if you get a little dribble on your chin? Celebrate every aspect of it for, my dear ones, this life is the only one you’ve got.