Difficult days are wildly underrated.
They reveal what sunny days quietly allow you to overlook.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not exactly a fan of difficult days. 😉 I’ve had more than my fair share of them, and I know for certain that chapter is largely behind me now.
There are seasons when my emotions no longer resemble ordinary waves.
They become a raging ocean.
There are blessings and burdens that come with feeling deeply. Those who feel deeply ride the highest waves, but they also fall the hardest.
The laughter is louder.
The tears run deeper.
Little by little, I’m leaving a storm behind.
Not long ago, weeks rather than months, I would wake up in the morning genuinely unsure how I was going to make it to bedtime.
If someone had asked me what made me happy, I would have fallen silent.
Not because there was nothing to look forward to, but because today and tomorrow had gradually started to resemble yesterday.
The sun still rose every morning.
I simply couldn’t feel its warmth anymore.
This morning, another difficult moment found me.
But before it could grow into a wave, I chose not to follow the current of my thoughts.
I’ve learned that I don’t have to dive into my ocean every time a wave appears.
So I simply stayed afloat.
A little while later…it had passed.
My regular yoga and meditation practice is slowly doing its work. 😌
“Look how far you’ve come, Maaike.”
I honestly never believed I would one day say those words to myself.
And today, I want to say them again.
To myself.
And perhaps… to you.
You never notice the exact moment life returns.
But somehow, it does.
It doesn’t knock before it comes in.
One day, you simply realise it has quietly found its way back inside.
Sometimes it even takes another difficult day to make you realise that life has already returned.
That was my moment this morning. ❣️
Only a few weeks ago I couldn’t even answer the question of what made me happy.
Now I catch myself making silly jokes again.
Dancing around the house.
Singing.
Dreaming about all the things I still want to experience.
It looks effortless.
But it isn’t.
Life finds its way back in through the small choices you make every single day.
Choosing the walk.
Meeting people.
Eating well.
Writing.
Making space for stillness.
There isn’t one dramatic turning point.
It happens gradually. Almost unnoticed.
Until one day…
you realise you’re smiling again.
And one more thing.
Every wave that ever pulled you under taught you something.
Not how to avoid the waves.
But how to come back to the surface…
A little faster.
A little stronger.
Every single time.
I sometimes joke that I almost had a career in surfing. 😉🏄♀️
So this time, I found my balance on the board again rather quickly.
Maybe that’s what going with the flow really means.
Not believing that the waves will stop coming.
They won’t.
But trusting that, somewhere along the way…
you’ve learned how to swim.
🌊❤️
With love,
Always,
Maaike
❣️
If these words resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share this essay with someone who might need it today.
❣️
Love in Action – Maaike Goyens
I give words to what connects & what separates us.
To moments that move us.
To what builds bridges between hearts & people.
In the hope of creating a little more love & connection.
For everyone who has ever struggled to understand someone else & themselves
❣️
Love in action 
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