Making Peace With Dread (The Personal Kind)

Recently, I said something snark,y and it got back to the person.
For the whole day, I dreaded what would happen.
When the worst did happen, I felt even worse:
a slow, painful remembering of how imperfect I am,
 despite all the striving.
 And of how perfection is not even a thing, 
no matter how much I strive.

Funnily, dread helped me. 
Dread was the most helpful thing.
 Without dread, I wonder if I’d even have noticed, let alone cared.
 But with dread, and after making peace with dread, which took a minute,
 self-compassion emerged, and then a plan. 
And self-compassion plus a plan feels like a decent idea for this moment.