The key to managing overwhelm is noticing it before it takes hold.

Lately, as I’ve delved deeper into my family history, I’ve found myself moving through waves of emotional intensity — sometimes feeling as though I’m living in a constant state of sensory overload.

It’s unsettling and relentless, leaving me, at times, completely drained. Still, I do my best to stay grounded and not let it consume me. Each day, I make a conscious effort to meet myself with gentleness. When life begins to rush in too fast, I slow my pace, soften the noise around me, and return to the present moment.

Over time, I’ve learned to recognize the earliest signs of overwhelm — those subtle cues that I’m pushing too hard, overcommitting, or expecting too much of myself.

When that familiar tension begins to rise, I turn to Aspen — for a cuddle, a playful pause, or a quiet walk beneath the trees.

Sometimes, I simply rest. These small acts help me reset and regain my rhythm. As I continue to uncover my family’s past, I’ve encountered information that is both painful and deeply significant.

Exploring one’s roots can foster connection and healing — yet it can also unearth brutal truths, including hidden histories, ancestral wounds, and the echoes of harm that have been carried forward.

The search has not been easy. Some pieces of the puzzle remain elusive and hard to find.

Still, I’m committed to assembling the story — piece by piece — and to remaining open to support and insight from new places and people.

In the end, these unsettling revelations will not deter me from continuing my investigative research or from seeking a deeper understanding of the forces that shaped my family’s story. My findings are already stirring discomfort for some — and understandably so. Some of what I’ve uncovered holds deep significance and may initially make certain individuals feel uneasy or exposed. Yet I remain grounded in the facts. There is no need for embellishment or speculation where the truth is unclear. When uncertainty remains about what happened, or the circumstances surrounding it, I will name that uncertainty plainly.