It's that giving time of year again, so this is a reminder that no matter how they try to dress it up, the Salvation Army is not a charity.

Okay, I'm going to do a thing as a test before going 24/7 padded, from now until my birthday on sept 16th, every like this gets, is 1 like, equals a 24 hour time frame of me being padded: 5 likes = 5 days of being padded

Bedtime is when fear gets loud, whispering that my wants don’t matter. Tonight I’m choosing to trust the softest part of me instead.

Fear says my dreams are childish. My plushie says they’re needed.

I thought desires had to be big, impressive, or “adult.” But my real desires are small and soft: safe hugs, playtime, warm showers, silly snacks. And that’s enough.

Fear tries to tell me that if I stop, I’ll fall behind. But rivers have calm spots too, little pools where they gather strength. I get to have those moments.

Goodnight world. Goodnight fear. Hello stuffies. 🧸💫✨

Fear makes me believe softness is silly. But my plushie proves softness is how I heal.

Fear makes me want to be the grown-up who rushes into everything. My Little self just wants to hold a stuffie, sip water, and remember I’m safe.

Bluey feels like a reminder that play is medicine. Even when fear shouts, soft moments matter more.

There’s something powerful about ending the week with a Little ritual, whether it’s cartoons, pajamas, or just a few moments to snuggle something safe. It reminds my nervous system that it’s okay to come home now.

Soft doesn’t mean weak. Soft means I know when I need a blankie, a plushie, a paci, a snack, and a no.

I don’t need to prove I’m working to deserve comfort. My worth isn’t measured in tasks completed or messages answered. There’s no scoreboard. Just a quiet, gentle truth: I’m already enough, even if I’m laying down with my plushies.

Today’s forecast: 40% cartoons, 60% brave. 100% allowed to be soft.

Adult me: We could do more Little me: But we did enough Heart: Maybe rest is the real reward

Being soft on purpose is one of the bravest things I’ve ever done.

🍎 applesauce lunch 🧦 warm socks 📺 cartoons on quiet 🧸 plush on chest ✅ real healing

Do you think maybe soft people are strong because they don’t abandon themselves? Even when everything says they should?

When you’ve spent the day being strong, helpful, responsible… it’s okay if the soft parts of you just want to rest now. You don’t have to hide them. They matter too.

Just because someone else needs the “grown-up” version of me doesn’t mean I have to erase the softer parts. Courage is saying: “I see you, Gabby. I haven’t forgotten.” Little space matters, even when the timing isn’t perfect. 💛

Some of us learned fear from voices that claimed to love us. That’s why it’s radical to speak to ourselves with care now. Every time you whisper “you matter” to your Little self, that’s healing the past in real time.

“You don’t need that. Go play outside and leave me alone.” That voice still echoes when I try to rest or be little. But today I whispered back: “You deserve softness. Even if all you can do is wrap up in a blanket and breathe. You’re not too much.”

I'm still here just been super busy and life challenges have been tough lately but we got this!

The scariest part of walking away isn’t losing them. It’s losing the dream of who they almost were. 💭💔 But dreams can’t tuck you in. 🛏️ They can’t meet your needs. 🧸 Your present deserves more than a past with potential. 🌙✨

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop defending someone’s potential and start defending your peace. 🕊️ Even if you miss them. Even if you hoped. 💔 The ache is real. And you still get to choose soft boundaries. 🧸🌙

ughhhh. ever feel like you’re trying really hard to feel better but nothing sticks?? like, you make the lil list. you light the candle. you do the “deep breath” thing. but inside it’s still all tangled. that’s where I was. that’s why I started asking for help. 1/7

Even if you didn’t get it all right today… Even if you snapped or forgot or got scared You’re still good. You’re still worth holding. Your plushie didn’t change their mind. 🧸💛 And neither did I. Come rest now. You’re safe. 🌙✨

Sometimes I think, “Uh-oh… I ruined everything.” 😣 But then I breathe. 🌬️ I hold my plushie. 🧸 And I remember: I wasn’t bad. I was just scared. 💛 And scared Littles still deserve love — even if they snapped, cried, or forgot the time. ⏰🥺

It’s not always soft music and sparkling baths. Sometimes self-love is holding yourself after you mess up. Not spiraling. Not blaming. Just breathing. That’s what healing looked like today. 🧸💛

You can still be proud of how you showed up, even if the day didn’t go right.

Shoutout to the red chairs at Round Table Pizza that witnessed the single gayest moment of my life, if you know, you know

Why that first safe person stays in your heart: • 🧸 They gave your Little self language • 🫶 They didn’t flinch at the truth • 💭 They made care feel possible • 🕯️ They helped you survive a chapter you couldn’t name • 🌼 They reminded you: being seen can feel good Even if it ended — it mattered. 💛

🧸 You may still ache for the one who first saw your Little self and didn’t look away. That ache doesn’t mean you should go back. It means your softness was real. Your need to be seen was valid. And your heart is still learning how to trust again. 💛🌫️

💔 There’s a kind of grief no one talks about when someone helps you feel safe for the first time… and then slowly stops being safe themselves. It doesn’t make you wrong for trusting them. It just means you outgrew the version of love that couldn’t grow with you. 🧸🌙

🍼 Unconditional love doesn’t mean no boundaries. It means ‘You are still worthy, even when you mess up.’ That’s how healing begins. Especially for inner littles who learned love was performance-based. Let’s rewrite that story. 🤍

If resting feels unsafe, it might be because… • 😔 You were punished for slowing down • 🎭 You had to earn love • 😢 Crying got you scolded • 🚪 People left when you got vulnerable • 💔 You were taught to fear your softness 🧸 You’re not weak. You were never held right. But you can change that now. 🌙

Why reclaiming play after abuse is so hard: • 🧠 Your brain still thinks joy = danger • 🩲 Every diaper crinkle might echo an old threat • 🫱 Touch can feel like betrayal, even when it’s gentle • 🕸️ You’ve been taught to associate comfort with risk • ✨ But it’s not the same anymore — and that matters

🕯️ No one warned me that healing would feel like grief. I had to mourn the years I spent pretending I didn’t need softness. And when I finally let myself play again, it didn’t feel fun — it felt sacred. Like visiting the ghost of someone who never left. 👻🧸

Sometimes it feels like our stories are too big, like maybe we should just hug our plushie and stay quiet forever. But then someone else whispers, “Me too,” and suddenly the blanket feels warmer. You’re not too much, sweet bean. You’re just brave enough to speak soft truths out loud.🧸✨

You never forget the person who saw you when you felt invisible. Who stayed when you were messy. Who didn’t flinch when you needed more. Be that for someone else — or be that for yourself. That tiny act of love might change everything. 💛

You used to call yourself broken for needing that kind of care. Now you’re building a life with soft snacks, afternoon naps, and pacis by the bed. 🍪🧸💤 Regression isn’t a step back — it’s how you learned to feel safe again.

You’ve tried pushing through. Try padding up and slowing down. 🧸🛏️ Try moving like someone who’s already worthy — not someone who has to prove it. That softness? That’s the beginning of real strength. 💛

When rest feels unsafe, start with something small. A soft shirt. A warm snack. Padding up for comfort, not shame. You’re not doing nothing — you’re doing healing.

Some of us grew up asking what was allowed—not what we wanted. But tonight, ask softer: “What would feel good to me?” Even a cartoon, a plushie, or saying no counts. Tiny wants matter when you choose them on purpose. 🧸💛

Being soft doesn’t mean letting people walk all over you. It means you get to be soft on your terms. Find people who lift you up and make space for your Little self. Ask for what you need — and if they can’t hear you, keep reaching. You’re allowed to build a life that feels good to be in. 🧸

If your tummy flips when they text, that’s real. If your plushie hides under the blanket with you, that’s real too. Your body isn’t overreacting — it’s protecting you. You don’t need bruises to believe yourself. 🧸💛

You convinced yourself that it wasn’t “bad enough” to leave. They didn’t hit you. They just scared you. They just… made your heart race and your skin crawl. 💔😣 That kind of fear is still real. You’re allowed to move before it gets worse. 🧸🚪

You don’t have to earn rest. You don’t have to be brave tonight. You just have to let yourself soften. Even if it’s just for a minute. That’s enough. You’re enough. Goodnight, sweet bean. 🧸💗

There was a time when everything felt like too much. I didn’t have a plan, I didn’t have a safe home, and no one was protecting me. But I still gave myself one thing: a diaper, a cartoon, and a plushie to hold. That became my Cozy Corner. And it reminded me I was still worthy of care.

The world is a scary place. Remember that as scary as you find things, for whatever reason, there may be a part of you that's even more scared. Comfort your inner self as best you can, as much as you can. They need it, often more than you realise. Wonderful art by the lovely @pandorasartbox.baby. 🩷