There’s a voice many of us carry inside.
It sounds like this:

“You should’ve done more.”
“That wasn’t good enough.”
“Try harder next time.”

That voice rarely cheers for you.
It doesn’t celebrate your small wins or honor your rest.
It whispers that until things are better, cleaner, more impressive—you don’t get to feel good about yourself.

That voice?
It’s the voice of perfectionism.

We talk a lot about gratitude in terms of smiles, blessings, and good days.

We give thanks over food, during holidays, in the quiet of answered prayers.

But what about the days when we feel disconnected? When gratitude doesn’t show up as polished words or joyful praise—but instead, as heartbreak, silence, or sheer survival?

What if that, too, is gratitude?

Some days, gratitude feels natural.
The sunrise is beautiful. The coffee is perfect. Someone you love makes you laugh at just the right moment.

But other days?
Gratitude feels forced.
You’re tired. Your body aches. Life feels messy. There’s more uncertainty than peace.