because words are powerful
A few days before my trip, I had lunch with a colleague who mentioned having gone to the Tenement Museum when she and her husband were in New York a few years ago. She said they’d really enjoyed the experience. I tucked the suggestion away but had no idea where it was in relation to…
Since my travels to New York started three days into my Delights Writing Project, I suspected I might not maintain the daily writing habit while I was away. So to help me remember, I’ve made brief notes to jog my memory. For today’s delight, I initially jotted down “Walk to and from Dune 2 with…
We logged off from our remote work, and left Times Square behind. In our cab, we held hands, smiled at each other, and watched the activity of the city streets pass us by. The taxi ride took longer than we anticipated because we got stuck behind a stalled car on a one-way street. No matter….
In the days and weeks leading up to our trip, Hans and I made a list of things we’d like to do while we were in New York. We don’t really need a list—our mutual company fills our time well, but it was fun to put a few ideas on paper. Because our first few…
Today’s delight visited me early. My beau made the trek down two elevators and up the street for a couple of to-go hot teas and some breakfast. When he returned, we sat together, and I loaded the fifth episode of last summer’s Strike Force Five podcast. The project featured the five late night hosts who…
For the second time in four months, I am reminded of how small the world is. The first time I was in a tearoom in London when a former colleague from St. Louis walked into the tearoom a few minutes after my host and I had been seated—mere tables from one another. Today, as I…
I found today’s delight bouncing along on the empty trailer we’d just unloaded at the campground’s campfire site. Volunteers assembled to continue the spring cleaning and preparations for another camping season. I feel a sense of peace working side-by-side others who care about the task at hand. The sun shone bright and neutralized the still-winter…
I’ve been reading Ross Gay’s The Book of (More) Delights, his second year-long exploration of the simple daily things that bring him delight in the form of a collection of what he calls, essayettes. I enjoyed reading the first book. Delighting in things is a way of life for me, so it was a beautiful…
…Going to bed early or when my body says its time—no matter what the clock says * muting the old narratives in my mind that cause me pain, sadness, and disappointment—a daily and sometimes hourly practice * cultivating this smaller, quieter life and concentrate on connection over quantity or socialized norms for how I “should”…
I’m a winter baby born on the third day of the new year. My year’s worth of gift opening is concentrated into the span of two weeks. I keep my Christmas tree up for my birthday. I let the Christmas cheer of the past few weeks spill over and transform into birthday celebration. I am…
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