If you follow me on social media, you’ve seen some throwback videos recently while my house has been under construction. So, I figure it’s a good time to remind everyone to give themselves a little grace sometimes.

Back before Christmas, we noticed hardwood floorboards warping around our refrigerator. Winds up, the water line going into our fridge had sprung a leak. This led to water mitigation tearing up our floors, walls, and basement ceiling. Loud, hot machines running over the holidays. A lot of back-and-forth with the insurance adjuster and contractors.

But finally, after months and switching contractors to a friend, we got our walls repaired about a month ago. Then, last week and this week, our floors are rebuilt in three rooms.

Over all this time, I’ve been trying to keep up with my social media schedule. Hence the throwback videos.

I’ve also been working on promoting and scheduling out the book tour for My Name Was Baby: An Intersex Memoir.

I’m also deep into into edits on the fourth book in my Jayu City Chronicles books, which is tentatively called The Sigurd Strategem. Noodle on that, if you will.

And I still have a full-time day job.

Instead of giving all of these the time and energy I want to give them, I’ve been juggling house construction. Being without a kitchen is taxing. Relocating a lot of your furniture and things into different rooms is trying. And our cats were none too happy with the situation.

We’re all too hard on ourselves sometimes. I have a hard time not being productive, though I enjoy reading and gaming and relaxing, too. Have I been as productive in these weeks? Of course not. Being hard on myself does me no good. Making a plan for getting back to it now that the construction is done?

Now, that’s helpful.

This is your reminder that yes, life can throw you a lot of curveballs. Just when you think you’ve got a good routine and everything is fine, something WILL happen. It’s a matter of when, not if.

So give yourself grace. It makes life a whole lot easier.