Sometimes as a writer you meet other writers who are part of profound projects or connected to cool publications that you didn’t even know you wanted to be a part of. That happened for me at a creatives’ meet up last fall, where I met one of the editors for Sincerely Kindred, an online and print publication that weaves authenticity, vulnerability, spirituality, and art into meaningful letters, photos, and written reflection.

Last fall I took an emotional journey through excitement and apprehension, passing by hope and connection before arriving at hurt and desertion from multiple parties. I landed hard on the ground of disappointment, unsure of how it had happened or how to get up.

I wrote a reflection months later that was picked up by Sincerely Kindred and published this week (click on the link to find it). I’ve reread it several times and now, months later, the struggle it details feels both distant and real, a reminder that vulnerability always comes at a cost, and that learning to love and forgive others often must start with doing the same for yourself.