"Grace" has always been more than just a word or a name for me.
This week, I wanted to go into a bit of storytelling to share a few things on the topic of Grace and how it resonates with me in life.

How do we show grace to other people? Do we grant ourselves grace when we need it the most? Or in the process of self-doubt and growing insecurities, have we forgotten about it?

My Name is Amariah…
The biblical definition of Grace is “unmerited favor”.
This means that even though you don't deserve it, someone can give you an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual.
My full given name is Amariah Grace. It means God has promised you Grace -- which is extremely ironic because if you take grace in the sense of walking with ease, I am a bit of a klutzy. That’s just not me. I fall all the time.
I could get really emotional thinking about my name and what it means. I often ask, “Why would I deserve to be loved in the way that I get kindness that I don't deserve?” It sticks in my craw.
It’s easier for us to do that for other people, but it's just so hard for us to do it for ourselves. We are all so mean and so critical on the inside that we tend to treat other people better than we treat ourselves.
And so, I want to share this poem that I found by Lara Heacock which speaks about giving ourselves grace:
When you’re doing hard things.
When you’re going through change.
When you’re noticing old patterns creeping back in.
When you don’t feel like you showed up at your best.
When you’re lost in the whirling dervish of busy.
When your heart feels heavy.
When your mood feels flat.
When you pick a fight for no reason.
When you lose your temper.
When you make a mistake.
When you are having a very human experience, give yourself grace.

The Gift of Grace
I named my third daughter Grace as well. She doesn’t fall as much as I do -- more graceful, if I may say so. My great grandmother's name was Grace, and so was my father’s biological mother.
The point is, I have this legacy with this word “grace” and it needs to be part of my journey. Especially this year when I've declared that the words of the year for me are healing and abundance. And if I am to achieve those, I absolutely need to include grace for myself and grace for other people.
I still fall, and I know that I will fall in the future. But there is grace to be found within us. As the poem teaches, we have to find those places in our bodies, minds, spirits where we feel so tightly wound and give ourselves ease in those areas.
“When you are having a very human experience, give yourself grace.”
And if you need help doing it, please reach out and we’ll talk about it over coffee: https://www.riahgonzalez.com/contact