Small Things

I took last week off for my kids' spring break and WOW, while it was amazing to toss on my OOO auto-responder + take a social media break I was reminded of something else.

I’m a proponent of the power of small, everyday moments. Especially during the pandemic, tiny touchpoints with joy + comfort have been crucial so as not to lose my mind.

And while I'm happy for people who found joy in bigger spring break adventures, reality is, that's generally not who I am + I just got vaccine #1 last week so my mental runway for doing things is different than people who are already fully vaccinated.

The past 9 days were all about delighting in the small, immediately accessible, and sometimes utterly mundane. I had lots of quiet, cuddly moments + conversations with my kids. I cooked and baked, not under time pressure around meetings. My kids and I watched a ton of Great British Baking. I helped Laurel with driving practice hours and got to see her play soccer (+ remembered how nice it is to chat with friends on the sidelines). I played tennis, did yoga, and went for long walks. Jon and I talked about life plans. I started to think about college stuff for Laurel. I reorganized our basement food inventory and 3 kitchen cabinets that have driven me nuts for YEARS. I browsed glasses online (progressives here I come!) I snuggled the dog a lot. I finally tested metallic watercolors I received almost 7 months ago. I read 2 books and did Sudoku and crossword every day. I finally cleaned off a table in our living area that has been cluttered with crap for a year; it took less than 10 minutes and I am now committed to keeping this station clear for art and other fun.

I did have moments of confusion, like, "Shouldn’t I be doing something productive right now?" I quietly pushed some work objectives forward, but otherwise delighted in so many small things.

My point in detailing all of this is that there is so much joy potential in IMMEDIATE REACH. I want to remember this because while yes, I’m an ambitious person who loves to work, I want to be more than my work always. I’m launching into Monday in head to toe comfort, setting an intention for balanced, loving re-entry.