I love you guys so hard.

As many of you know I live in Oklahoma and the city of Moore is right next to my city. The elementary school that was destroyed is just nine miles north of me.

Thankfully my family and I were not directly affected but as I went to work that night at the store I work at, I saw people coming in battered, bruised, and bloody. People who had lost all of their belongings and were coming in to buy clothes. There were also people with shopping carts full of water and necessities that they were donating to those affected. I was so grateful to them for what they were doing.

I got home and I had messages and e-mails from so many people making sure that I was okay. It made me want to reach out and hug them. Reach out and hug everyone that was affected, everyone that wanted to help, and everyone that cared. I was overwhelmed with empathy but also with love. It balanced it out.

I don't watch the news and I generally stay away from news articles. There's so much bad that's happening in the world that it's hard to distance ourselves from it. I don't want to let the bad into my daily life, but sometimes it's there anyway and this wasn't news that I could just turn off. It was happening around me and affecting people that I know. I had to practice self care, be gentle with how I was feeling, with the empathy for everyone that was flowing through me. I spent a day relaxing, I listened to the Sorcerer's Stone Audiobook and that helped me turn back into myself.

Still I find myself wanting to pull everyone I know (you included) into a great big hug. Squeezing you tight and telling you that I'm happy that you alive and healthy. It's just been that kind of week. Hugs all around. I'm just eternally grateful for all of the goodness that I have in my life.

Thank you for your Facebook posts, comments, and messages, for your tweets and e-mails, and basically for reminding me that I am surrounded in love.

Thank you for being in my life. Love. Love. LOVE.