The day after: When the calm isn’t just relief, it’s proof

It’s a perfect sunny Florida kind of day.

I sat on my balcony this morning with my coffee, watching the lake sparkle, and thanked Jesus for wrapping his arms around me the past few days. For giving me the strength to remember who I am. For the resources to lead through the fire without losing myself in it.

Monday was chaos. Today is calm.

But here’s what makes this calm different:

It’s not just the absence of crisis. It’s the presence of something I’ve fought years to build.

Last night I cleaned the kitchen. Put out the trash. Magic in the mundane, right? But this morning when I woke up, my space was clear. My mind was clear. And when my son left for work – heading into his day as a paramedic with all its unknowns – I didn’t have stress in my voice.

I hate when my stress bleeds into his morning. He’s facing enough. He doesn’t need to carry mine too.

And here’s what hit me on that balcony:

This is my life. My stress. My chaos.

But it’s MINE.

For years I couldn’t even think because of the chaos HE brought into my life. I was drowning in someone else’s storm, sitting at tables where I didn’t belong, pretending I had a seat.

It takes guts to get up from that table. Tenacity. Courage. Audacity to believe you deserve better.

It takes fortitude to walk away and find yourself.

And that’s what I did. I found my slice of heaven in this coastal community. I have been spending time on ME. Healed from years of not belonging. Built a life where the chaos is mine – messy, real, manageable MINE.

So when Monday’s crisis hit? I handled it differently.

Not because it was easy. But because I’ve learned something profound:

When you’re living in your own chaos instead of someone else’s, you can actually navigate it.

Today I approached everything with slow intention. A short to-do list. Nothing I couldn’t handle. I took a break in the sun. Another for lunch. (I never do that.) I’ll work until 5, take a walk, clean my balcony.

This is what a good day looks like now.

Not because everything’s perfect. But because I’m grounded enough to appreciate the sun on my face, the sparkle on the water, the clean kitchen that made my morning better, the strength to send my son off without adding my stress to his.

The calm after the storm isn’t about everything being done. It’s about remembering who you are. Whose you are. And where you’ve come from.

Yesterday’s leadership was forged in crisis.

Today? I’m living in the calm I’ve earned.

And wow, does that make the sun seem brighter, the water more magical, the coffee taste sweeter.

This is my life. My chaos. My calm.

And I’m proud of myself.

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My word stack for today:

Tenacity + Courage + Audacity

tenacity, [tuh-nas-i-tee] noun, Origin: Latin tenax, “holding fast” The guts to keep holding on to yourself even when everything else is falling apart around you.

courage, [kur-ij] noun, Origin: Latin cor, “heart” The strength it takes to get up from tables where you don’t belong and walk away believing you deserve better.

audacity, [aw-das-i-tee] noun, Origin: Latin audere, “to dare” The bold belief that you can find yourself after years of being lost in someone else’s storm.

These mugs are part of our Coffee Stories collection – word stacks inspired by my personal journey shared in these posts. Each memoir piece becomes a stackable memory you can hold in your hands. Start your own collection and create combinations that speak to your journey.”

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Shop My Balcony Sanctuary:

A few things that make my calm-after-chaos mornings special:

☕ Coffee Warmer – [Amazon Link] – Keep your coffee hot while you watch the lake sparkle and count your blessings
🪴 Outdoor String Lights – [Amazon Link] – Create ambiance on your balcony for evening unwinding after handling your day
📔 Gratitude Journal – [Amazon Link] – Capture those moments when you realize how far you’ve come
🧘 Comfortable Outdoor Cushion – [Amazon Link] – Make your balcony the sanctuary you deserve

Some links are Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase through them at no extra cost to you. I only share products I actually use and love!