I know you’re tired. But I’m proud of you.

I know you’re bone tired right now. Don’t ask me how, I just know.

It’s an ache and a stiffness in every bone, and a fog that obscures every complete thought.

I know you’re so tired that you want to curl up into a ball and pull the blankets over yourself and cry.

I don’t have an answer to that.

But I want you to know something all the same. I want you to know that you’re tired because you’re doing your best and giving it your all, and you deserve to be so damn proud of yourself.

You’re tired because you’ve given so much, and what you’ve given doesn’t go unnoticed. What you’ve given has meaning, and we love that you are still here.

I hope you have a chance to rest soon. To take your foot off the gas and pause for a moment.

I hope you have an opportunity to find some space for yourself, because you deserve it.

And until that happens, just know that I’m with you, and I believe in us, and I believe so firmly that we will make it through. 🖤

Joan Westenberg is an award winning Australian contemporary writer, designer and creative director. She is the founder of branding and advertising firm Studio Self. Her approach to messaging, communication and semiotics has built her reputation as a writer, and she has been named as one of the leading startup voices in Australia by SmartCompany.

Her writing has appeared in The SF Chronicle, Wired, The AFR, The Observer, ABC, Junkee, SBS, Crikey and over 40+ publications. Her regular work can be found on Pizza Party, a blog about creativity, culture and technology. Joan is the creator Transgenderinclusion.com, an open-source workplace inclusion hack, and the author of the book #DIY, a manifesto for indie creativity.