How to be okay

It’s okay to be depressed, as long as pills or meditation or your dog or hard work is making you better, a little every day. 

It’s okay to be lonely as long as no one else has to hear about it. 

It’s okay to be scared about the future, because everyone is, duh. It’s okay because it’s just life.

It’s okay to be nervous, but not so nervous, all the damn time. Sheesh. 

It’s okay to be mad, but only if you’re going to let it go eventually. The most infuriating people will tell you about how you’ll make yourself sick if you don’t forgive everyone who’s ever hurt you. Even if they aren’t sorry? Even if they aren’t sorry. 

It’s okay to cry, if you’ve got a good reason. Otherwise, stop it, or I’ll give you a reason. 

It’s okay to be “crazy” if you’re beautiful. 

It’s okay to be mean, if you’re “broken.”

I stumbled over a crack in the sidewalk. I’d been crying about something. She grabbed my arm, above the elbow, to steady me. “Are you okay?” “It’s fine. I’m okay.”

“Is everything okay over here?” he asked, shining his flashlight over us. We shielded our eyes from the glare. “It’s okay, sir. We’re okay.”

I grabbed her arm with both hands, harder than I meant to. “Please stop asking me if I’m okay. Please? I’m trying to keep it together and being reminded of how not okay I look every 5 minutes isn’t helping me.” 

“We could just go buy something. That always makes it okay. That always makes us feel better.”

“Okay. I want you to count backwards from 100.”

“I hope I was okay.”

“You’re going to feel a pinch, okay?”

She handed me a receipt, “Okay. You’re all set.” “Is this it?” “What do you mean, honey?” “Well, when I got married, it was a big fancy piece of paper, a certificate.” “Yeah. This is different than that.” She laughed, not unkindly. When I got back from my lunch break, the only coworker I’d told what I was doing asked if I was okay. “Yeah. I’m okay. It’s fine. It was easy.”

Has anyone ever written a song about being okay?

“Is this okay?” “Yes.” “How about this?” “Fuck yes.”

“It was okay. Just okay, but you know, at least okay.”