Today, for the first time in a long time, I felt peace in the kitchen. I was prepping for family dinner, music in my ears, letting the lyrics wash over me the way they always do. Music has always been my safe place. It calms my anxiety and reminds me that I am still me.

As I stood there chopping, I felt something I had not felt in years. The same peace and satisfaction I used to have when I loved being in the kitchen. I remembered how much joy it once gave me. I remembered trying to start a blog and an Instagram to share it all. But when it did not grow, and when I became a new mom, life shifted.

That was ten years ago. Postpartum depression crept in. Insecurity became louder than my love for cooking. I stepped away, and the kitchen was never the same.

Over the years, I have circled back in small ways. About a year and a half ago, I went carnivore and started sharing pieces of that journey. Now, with three kids, my meals are simple. Most days the joy feels buried, but every so often, I catch a glimpse of it again. And today was one of those moments.

If I am honest, I feel sadness when I think about how often I let insecurity win. For 42 years, that voice in my head has whispered that I am not good enough. And every time I swore I would not listen, comparison found its way back in. Social media only made it worse. Maybe you have felt that too.

Living with ADHD has added its own layer of struggle. My brain is always racing. I start and stop. I move forward and pull back. I get caught in cycles of doubt. It is exhausting, and it makes it easy to give up on the things I love. But today reminded me that peace can still be found, even if only for a second. And in that second, I remembered how much I love the kitchen.

It is easy to quit. It is easy to compare yourself to others. It is easy to give up on the things that bring you joy. But believing in yourself when no one else can, and choosing to keep going when everything feels uphill, that is the hard part. And nothing meaningful ever comes without it.

So if you are feeling lost right now, know you are not alone. Today, I felt that too. But I also felt peace, and I am holding on to it.

What is something you once loved that you want to bring back into your life?