Sometimes, life feels like a giant, unpredictable wave. One moment, we are basking in the golden sunlight of a perfect afternoon, and the next, we are caught in the middle of a sudden, chilling storm. Rilke’s beautiful words remind us that this ebb and flow is not a mistake, but a fundamental part of being alive. To experience beauty is a gift, but to experience terror is often an unavoidable companion to growth. The magic lies in the middle part of that sentence: just keep going. It is an invitation to stop fighting the current and instead learn how to float through every season of our hearts.

In our everyday lives, we often try to build walls to protect ourselves from the 'terror' parts of existence. We avoid certain conversations, we hold back our vulnerability, and we try to stay anchored in the moments that feel safe. But when we do this, we inadvertently shut the door on the beauty, too. If we only allow the sunshine in, we become brittle. It is the rain, the wind, and even the shadows that soften our edges and allow us to truly feel the depth of our own existence. No emotion, no matter how heavy or overwhelming it feels right now, is a permanent resident in your soul.

I remember a time when I felt like my world was shrinking. I had faced a series of setbacks that felt like a relentless grey fog, and I honestly believed that the heaviness was my new permanent reality. I was so focused on the 'terror' of uncertainty that I couldn't see the small, beautiful details around me, like the way the light hit the pond in the morning. I felt stuck in a loop of sadness. But as I practiced just 'keeping going'—taking one tiny, shaky step at a time—the fog eventually began to lift. The heaviness didn't disappear instantly, but it transformed into something more manageable, eventually making room for joy to return.

As your friend BibiDuck, I want to remind you that you don't have to figure out the whole map today. You don't even have to like the storm you are currently walking through. You just have to trust that the storm is passing. Every heartbreak, every fear, and every triumph is a single chapter in a much larger, much more beautiful book. When things feel too much, take a deep breath and remember that this feeling is not your final destination. It is just a passing cloud.

Today, I invite you to sit quietly with whatever you are feeling. If you are in a season of beauty, savor every drop of it. If you are in a season of terror, try to be gentle with yourself and remember that you are moving through it. Can you find one small way to keep moving forward today, even if it is just a tiny, microscopic step?