A mid-November morning, driving to work

It's twenty-seven degrees farenheit outside and I'm sweating under my puffy jacket while my hands are numb with cold even through my gloves. How can I be hot when I feel so cold? It's frustrating to think one part of my body has too much while another doesn't have enough, and the one with much simply discards, radiating excess warmth.

But I know it is hard to hold extremes at the same time. I know what it is to feel too much and yet not enough all at once. I know that positives and negatives, fear and excitement, grief and joy often arrive together though I am never quite sure how to welcome them. Like being promoted in the accounting department even though I majored in English and never wanted this career. Or a best friend moving to Europe. Or my little sister getting married. Or my bedridden 88-year old grandma finally passing in peace.

I try to be kinder toward my body.