Matilda

I remember the first time I read Roald Dahl's Matilda as a child, the story about a misunderstood, unappreciated, and precocious bookworm who channels her brainpower into telekinesis to stand up to the bullies in her life. I related to her so strongly that at one point I had completely convinced myself that I too would be able to move things with my mind if I could just concentrate hard enough (spoiler alert: never happened). Though my parents were nothing like the Wormwoods and my principal nothing like Mrs. Trunchbull, there was still something so powerful about the thought of being able to use intelligence, knowledge, and wit to overcome whatever came my way. The story stuck with me then and does still, my childhood paperback copy so well-loved that the cover disappeared years ago. 

It's been a really hard year at work--and relatedly, a really hard year for my mental health. To be honest, I've been so busy that I didn't even realize how bad it had gotten until a couple weeks ago when it brought me, almost literally, to my knees. I'm not super comfortable sharing the details yet (although I hope I will be eventually, because I think it's important to be open about mental health), but suffice to say I needed a little magic, and a little (well.....maybe not-so-little) reminder that I have almost everything I need to stand up to my bullies already inside me--even if my bullies are inside me too.