I’m Back — And I’m Learning How to Return Gently

Hey, girl hey!… I’m back.

Not with a long explanation.
Not with apologies.
Just with honesty.

The last couple of months have been about survival, healing, and getting my body back under me. I got sick. Life kept life-ing. And for a while, showing up looked like resting, recovering, and doing only what was necessary.

And that used to be something I’d beat myself up over.

Because somewhere along the way, I learned that consistency meant never stopping. That if you fell off, you failed. That rest was weakness. That pushing through—no matter the cost—was the only way forward.

But here’s what I’ve been unlearning:

Stopping doesn’t mean quitting.
Pausing doesn’t mean you’ve lost momentum.
And needing rest doesn’t make you undisciplined.

What I didn’t know—what nobody ever taught me—is how to re-enter.

How to come back without shame.
How to return without punishing yourself.
How to pick something up again without acting like you dropped the ball.

So instead of telling myself I “fell off,” I’m telling myself the truth:
I listened to my body.
I survived a hard season.
And I learned something in the quiet.

I learned that gentleness is not the opposite of growth.
It’s often the doorway back to it.

So this is me, returning.
Not rushing.
Not catching up.
Not trying to prove anything.

Just beginning again from where I am.

If you’ve been in a season where showing up looked different…
If you’ve had to put things down to stay afloat…
If you’ve been waiting until you feel “ready” or “caught up” to come back—

This is your permission to re-enter gently, too.

You don’t have to start over.
You don’t have to explain yourself.
You’re allowed to continue.

I’m here.
And I’m learning a new way to be consistent—one that includes rest.

— Catherine