This Is Me Reminding You That You’re Going To Be Okay

A reminder we all need, especially on hard days

You're going to be okay

The past few days have felt impossibly heavy, and I’ve been carrying a weight I can’t quite put into words.

The other day, I was curled up into a little ball on the floor, confused and lost, unable to find my way in life. Tears streamed down my face as frustration tangled with sadness—I couldn’t even name the pain I felt.

As I lay on the floor, I thought of my time as a preschool teacher at a daycare in Maine—about how one day, a little two-year-old girl came running to me, bawling her eyes out. Her words didn’t make sense through her tears; I couldn’t tell if she had hurt herself or if one of her friends had been mean to her.

She trembled with each sob, eyes squeezed shut against the world, arms outstretched as if hoping my hug could hold all her broken pieces. I kneeled to her level, let her hold me, and said, “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay,” I whispered, feeling the weight of her fear settle into my own chest.

As I gently rocked her, trying to comfort her, I couldn’t figure out why she was crying.

After about ten minutes, she began to calm down, and we sat side by side on the floor. She looked at me with tears still in her eyes—she had stopped crying, but the sadness lingered. She was crying because she was sad, frustrated at her inability to clearly explain it all.

“It’s okay; you’re okay,” I kept telling her, even after she had stopped crying, as she sat quietly, staring at her little hands.

Even as a little girl, she knew, deep down, that she was okay—but even that simple knowing needed a voice, a presence, a gentle reminder. As adults, we forget how much we still need that.

She needed the safety of a hug, the reassurance that someone was there for her. Something we all need.

And that is what we all need sometimes. When we are hurt and crying, feeling alone, deep down we know we’re okay—but having a calm voice remind us makes all the difference.

When I have challenging days, I get angry and frustrated, but beneath it all is sadness and fear of loss. Our days have been harder, and adjusting to new changes can be tough. We fear for our health and the health of our loved ones. We worry about safety and security, because the world can be a scary and lonely place.

During these times, it is more important than ever to be kind to each other. It is crucial to be there for one another. If there is ever a time of need, it is now.

As grown-ups, sometimes it is challenging to understand each other’s frustrations, the same way I couldn’t understand the little girl’s. I remind you to please take the time to be patient with each other. Sometimes, we all need someone to hold us, like I was holding the little girl, and tell us that we are going to be okay.

The magic in those words is undeniable. Every time we tell someone, “You’re going to be okay,” we are quietly telling ourselves the same truth: “I am okay. I will be okay.”