“You are my beloved daughter – in whom is all my delight!”

“You are my beloved son – my world – my delight!”

These are words of Life.

Why parents hold back on them, I’ll never know – it’s not as if they can only be used or meant once, is it? I said this to each of my sons this week – and I think I’ll write it in a card to each of them too so that they have it on record – a permanent reminder.

I’m learning, also, the importance of presence over performance. All my life, I have been ‘performing for approval’ – approval that should have come as ‘standard’. Now, I realise that often we just have to show up and listen.

Hear more words of Life…

Words That See

"I see you. Not just the you that shows up to work and pays bills - the real you, the one carrying things noone knows about."

"You make sense to me. Your reactions, your fears, your hopes - they're not crazy. They're human."

"I notice how hard you're trying. Even when it doesn't look like much to the outside world, I see it."

Words That Welcome

"There's room for you here. Exactly as you are today - messy, uncertain, unfinished."

"You don't have to perform for me. You can just be."

"Whatever you're feeling, it's allowed. Anger, grief, joy, numbness - all of it has a place here."

Words That Validate Struggle

"This is genuinely hard. Not 'hard but you'll grow from it' hard - just plain, unfair, exhaustingly hard."

"It makes sense that you're tired. You've been carrying so much for so long. Come rest with me."

"You're not failing. You're surviving something that would break a lot of people."

Words That Free

"You're allowed to change your mind. You're allowed to outgrow things. You're allowed to become someone new."

“You can say, ‘No!’ - and without guilt. Simply, ‘No!’ without justification or explanation.”

"You don't have to earn your place in the world. You already belong here."

"Your worth isn't measured by your productivity. Some days, just being here is enough."

Words That Connect

"Me too."

"I don't have answers, but I'll stay in the questions with you."

"You're not alone in this. I know it feels that way, but look—I'm here. Others are here. We're all stumbling together."

Words That Empower

"What do you need right now? Not what you should need - what you actually need?"

"You know yourself better than anyone else does. Trust that. No one has walked this far in your shoes… nice shoes, btw."

"Whatever choice you make, I trust you. You've gotten yourself this far."

Words That Offer Rest

"You can stop now. Not forever - just for today."

“Nothing needs fixing in this moment. Just breathe."

"The world will keep spinning even if you pause. Take the pause."

"Maybe meaning isn't something we find - it's something we create, together, in moments like this."

What words do you need to hear today?